Transport collapse at airports – what happened in Norway
On Sunday, Norwegian airports experienced a transport collapse due to an air traffic controller strike. At the main Oslo-Gardermoen airport, 75 departures and 47 arrivals were canceled. A total of 147 flights were canceled across the country. Norwegian airline canceled 72 flights, affecting about 9,000 passengers. The strike began on Friday after talks between the NFF union and the Spekter organization failed. Twelve controllers are participating, with eight more possibly joining from August 25.
On Sunday, August 23, 2026, Norwegian airports faced a major transport collapse caused by an air traffic controller strike. The most severe situation was at the country's main aviation hub, Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, where 75 departures and 47 arriving flights were urgently canceled. In the first half of the day, the airspace around the capital's airport was completely closed to regular airliners. In total across Norway, the number of canceled flights reached 147. The largest airline, Norwegian, was forced to cancel 72 flights, affecting approximately 9,000 passengers. The strike began on Friday after the complete failure of negotiations between the air traffic controllers' union NFF and the employers' organization Spekter. Currently, 12 specialists from Oslo and Bergen airports are participating in the protest. Starting August 25, eight more controllers plan to join the strike. Spekter's management calls the situation incomprehensible actions, pointing to the high salaries of employees. NFF union representatives deny the financial motive behind the conflict, stating that the dispute concerns break organization, instructor work, and working conditions at different career stages. Passengers are warned that high risks of further cancellations remain.