Strike Disrupts Air Traffic; Gardermoen May Close Sunday

A strike involving air traffic controllers has severely impacted Norway's air traffic, leading to widespread delays and cancellations. Twelve controllers are currently participating in the industrial action, with projections indicating that Oslo's Gardermoen Airport could face a five-hour closure on Sunday.

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The scope of operational disruptions will vary.

The striking controllers work at key locations, including Bergen Airport Flesland, Oslo Airport Gardermoen, the approach control for Gardermoen, and the area control center for Western Norway. Avinor, the operator of Norway's airports, has warned that the strike is affecting the capacity of Norwegian airspace, resulting in operational disruptions.

Avinor anticipates moderate delays at Gardermoen and Western Norway on Saturday. The situation at Flesland is expected to worsen throughout the day and evening, potentially leading to significant limitations and intermittent airspace closures over Western Norway by Saturday evening. Sunday is projected to see major delays and cancellations, with a possible closure of Gardermoen Airport between 06:30 and 11:30.

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Travelers whose departures are canceled due to the strike will be contacted directly via SMS and email with information about changes to their journey.

Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers' Union has announced plans to escalate the strike on Tuesday, August 26, with an additional eight controllers set to join the action. This includes personnel from Tromsø, Bodø, Stavanger, and Gardermoen. The union has issued notice of a work stoppage for a total of 536 controllers. Emergency services, including search and rescue, air ambulance, police, and military operations, will be prioritized during the strike.

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SAS does not have a direct influence on the outcome of the strike, but it will unfortunately lead to disruptions in air traffic.