Avinor, the State-owned Airport Operator, Warned of Significant Disruptions in Norway

Oslo Airport was closed for five hours on Sunday morning, forcing the cancellation of 147 of the 346 scheduled departures and affecting thousands of travelers. The closure, from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., is expected to cause major delays and knock-on effects across Norway's air traffic throughout the day. Avinor, the state-owned airport operator, warned of significant disruptions.

"Large delays and cancellations are expected, with knock-on effects through the rest of the day. The consequences will be felt in air traffic across the whole country, the company said on its website. Around 95,000 passengers were expected to pass through Oslo Airport on Sunday, according to Avinor's Helene W. Jensen.

Norwegian airline said Saturday it expected 9,000 passengers to be affected. The closure stems from a strike by the Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers' Association (Norsk Flyvelederforening) against the employers' association Spekter, which began Friday after two days of mediation failed. The dispute centers on breaks, frameworks for instructor activity, and life-phase policies for air traffic controllers.

Striking controllers work at Bergen Flesland and Gardermoen, at the control centers managing traffic into Gardermoen and over Western Norway. On Saturday, airspace over Western Norway was closed, and several hundred people likely had to spend the night at Flesland Airport in Bergen, where Avinor worked with the Red Cross to provide blankets and camp beds. Aftenposten could not find other instances of Oslo Airport's airspace being closed this long due to a strike since the airport opened in 1998. In September 2025, the airspace was closed for about three and a half hours due to possible drone sightings.

National mediator Mats Ruland told Aftenposten on Saturday he had spoken with both parties. "Based on my contact with the parties, it is my clear assessment that there is no basis for new meetings now, he said. There had been no contact between the parties since the breakdown.