Norwegian air traffic controllers walked out on Friday, and airport operator Avinor warns that Oslo Airport Gardermoen may have to close to all air traffic for five hours on Sunday morning.
As Avisen Danmark reports, the strike began on Friday, August 21, 2026, after mediation on pay and working conditions failed. Avinor, the state owned company that operates most Norwegian airports, says Gardermoen may be shut from 06:30 to 11:30 on Sunday if the action continues unchanged.
The strike was called by the Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers Association, NFF. According to CHECK-IN.dk, it initially involves 12 controllers at Gardermoen, Bergen Airport Flesland, the approach control for Gardermoen and the area control center for Western Norway.
The effects are already visible. CPH Post reports that by Saturday the strike had caused delays and at least 14 canceled SAS flights, citing Avinor.
Avinor’s forecast, relayed by CHECK-IN.dk, is that a five hour closure at Gardermoen would trigger major delays and cancellations across the Norwegian network for the rest of the day. Both CHECK-IN.dk and CPH Post stress that the shutdown is a contingency plan rather than a confirmed decision, since Avinor’s wording is that the airport may be closed.
What other outlets report
Berlingske writes that any closure between 06:30 and 11:30 would be total for flight traffic. The outlet notes that 12 controllers have been taken out so far, and that Avinor expects additional cancellations and delays beyond the closure window.
Swedish coverage frames the disruption in regional terms. Dagens Nyheter reports that the strike may close Gardermoen completely for five hours from 06:30 on Sunday, with consequences for flights to and from Sweden. The Local Norway reports that Sunday is expected to be the most severely affected day.
Why the walkout started now
Bloomberg reports that the controllers went on strike after two days of mediation failed to produce a pay agreement. CHECK-IN.dk explains that NFF had issued a formal strike notice tied to a mediation deadline of midnight on August 20, with stoppages to begin at 06:30 the next morning.
Accounts of the exact start time differ, with Bloomberg citing 11:00 on Friday and Danish trade coverage citing 06:30. The talks involved Avinor Flysikring and the employer association Spekter, per CHECK-IN.dk.
The strike has no fixed end date, and NFF may expand the action if no agreement is reached, according to Bloomberg. Avinor expects disruptions to continue until at least Monday, August 24, as noted by Caliber.az, which cites Bloomberg and the airport operator.
