Air traffic controllers' strike shuts Oslo Gardermoen for five hours

Oslo Gardermoen, Norway’s busiest airport, was closed for five hours yesterday after a group of air traffic controllers walked off the job, forcing airlines to cancel dozens of flights and disrupting operations at other airports run by Avinor. ([om.avinor.no](https://om.avinor.no/en/Articles/How-to-act-during-a-strike-at-the-airport/?utm_source=openai))

Avinor reported that 75 departures and 47 arrivals at Gardermoen were cancelled during the stoppage. The disruption also affected Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and several other Avinor-managed airports. ([avinor.no](https://www.avinor.no/en/online/osl/?utm_source=openai))

“Today, shifts are not regulated as they should be. We want a clear framework for that, but we don't think our employer wants to talk about it,” said Robert Gjønnes, leader of the Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers' Association (NFF), describing the dispute as primarily about working conditions rather than pay. ([aftenposten.no](https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/JOR2v4/flygelederne-moeter-til-mekling-hos-spekter?utm_source=openai))

Working hours, pay and the exchange of positions

The union says some shifts can last up to 16 hours without a break, a core concern behind the action. At the same time, air traffic controllers in Norway earn on average about 1.4 million Norwegian kroner a year (roughly €130,000), but the NFF insists that high salaries do not solve the problem of excessively long shifts and the heavy responsibility of the job. ([tu.no](https://www.tu.no/nyhetsstudio/129145?utm_source=openai))

Employers criticised the walkout as unreasonable given the impact on passengers. Spekter's head said controllers had rejected an offer that included an average pay increase of 62,000 NOK a year — more than four percent — and argued the dispute should be resolved in negotiations. Avinor likewise framed the stoppage as a breakdown in pay talks and warned of nationwide consequences. ([aftenposten.no](https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/8p761A/flyvelederstreik-forsinkelser-loerdag-og-gardermoen-stenges-soendag?utm_source=openai))

Norwegian (the airline) cancelled 72 flights as a result of the closure, affecting about 9,000 passengers; travellers were advised to stay in touch with their carriers about rebooking and refunds. The union and employers agreed to meet for mediation the following day, but officials warned that if negotiations fail additional controllers could be taken out of service and more of Norwegian airspace might be closed. ([ftnnews.com](https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/aviation/oslo-airport-closes-for-12-airline-controller-strike-today/?utm_source=openai))

Photo: EPA/Heiko Junge NORWAY OUT