Oslo Airport to close temporarily on Sunday due to Norwegian air traffic controllers’ strike

A strike by 12 Norwegian air traffic controllers began on Friday morning, causing disruption at several airports. Bergen Airport is expected to face the greatest impact initially, while Oslo Airport will be particularly affected on Sunday.

Oslo Gardermoen is scheduled to close completely to ordinary traffic between 06:30 and 11:30 on Sunday. No arrivals or departures will be possible during that period, except for medical and military flights, making cancellations unavoidable. Other temporary airspace closures could also affect Saturday’s operations.

Avinor said it was assessing the consequences flight by flight and could not yet provide a complete number of cancellations. Passengers who have not received a cancellation notice should travel to the airport as planned and monitor updates from their airline and Avinor.

Norwegian initially reported normal operations on Friday but warned that delays and cancellations could follow. The airline intends to protect infrequent services, particularly weekly flights, to avoid stranding passengers and crews abroad. SAS has reinforced its customer-service teams and is working to protect key flights.

Norway’s public mediator, Mats Ruland, said there was currently no basis for resuming mediation and that responsibility for resolving the dispute rested with the parties.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed by more than five hours may choose between reimbursement and rebooking. Travellers are advised not to cancel their reservations themselves, as doing so could remove their right to a refund.

Standard cash compensation is generally not payable because an air traffic control strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance beyond an airline’s control. Travel insurance also does not normally cover strike-related expenses, so affected passengers should contact their airline or tour operator before purchasing replacement tickets.