Strikes Cripple Norwegian Airports

Strikes across six Norwegian airports left around 18,000 passengers stranded yesterday.

Negotiations between Norwegian airport operator Avinor and LO Stat, a branch of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, ground to a halt on 16 May, causing some 220 employees to walk off their jobs.

Airports affected by the strike include Bergen Airport Flesland and Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes, and if a solution is not reached between the two parties by tomorrow morning then a further six could face walk outs.

If strikes do go ahead tomorrow they would affect the city of Stavanger, which would leave an estimated 31,000 passengers stranded.

"Avinor strongly regrets the consequences a strike will have for airlines and passengers," says Avinor CEO Sverre Quale.

"Our community and financial considerations made it impossible to meet the demands from the employee representatives."

By Alex Hawkes