Gatwick Adds 10 Winter Routes, Including Phuket and Lapland

Travellers flying from London Gatwick have ten additional route options this winter, including Christmas-market cities, Finnish ski destinations and long-haul journeys to Asia and the Caribbean. The airport says its 2026/27 winter network covers 229 destinations, with seven short-haul services and three long-haul additions. Some routes are already running, while others launch closer to Christmas, and several operate for only a few weeks.

Where Gatwick’s New Winter Flights Will Go

• City breaks: easyJet Nuremberg (19 November; Thu/Sun), Jet2 Gdańsk (27 November–21 December; Mon/Fri), Wizz Air Chișinău (winter).
• Lapland: British Airways Rovaniemi (4 December–4 January; twice weekly), airBaltic Kuusamo (December–March).
• Ski: TUI Lyon (winter).
• Winter sun: Wizz Air Hurghada; British Airways Colombo (23 October; three weekly), Bridgetown (25 October; daily); Norse Phuket (December–April; three weekly).

These additions may save passengers a journey to another London airport or a connection through a hub. That can make a short Christmas-market break easier, but not every route operates throughout winter. Booking pages show the actual travel dates, and return flights may be limited to particular weekdays. Check the airline's fare rules as well as baggage and transfer costs before comparing the new nonstop service with alternatives.

Nuremberg and Gdańsk give winter visitors access to Christmas markets, while Rovaniemi serves Santa Claus Village and Kuusamo is a gateway to Ruka's ski slopes. Lyon provides a route towards Alpine resorts, with onward transfers required. Further south, Hurghada offers Red Sea diving, Colombo is a starting point for exploring Sri Lanka, and Phuket gives travellers access to Thailand's Andaman coast.

The extra routes widen the choice of destinations, but short operating windows make some trips less flexible than the 229-destination headline suggests. A weekend departure is not always matched by a convenient return. Before reserving accommodation, check both flight dates and baggage allowances, especially for ski equipment. Families heading to Lapland should also compare airport-to-resort transfer times rather than assuming the direct flight ends the journey.