Latest news with #Avinor
Local Norway
28-05-2025
- Local Norway
Oslo airport passengers warned of queues ahead of busy travel days
Thursday is a public holiday for Ascension Day in Norway, and many people book the Friday off to get a four-day weekend. 'Over 85,000 travellers are expected to pass through Oslo Airport. This is on par with the numbers we see during the summer holidays,' Carita Storm Røsaasen, press officer at Avinor, told public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday. Travellers have been told to use the airline's recommended check-in time. Long queues have been increasingly common at Oslo Gardermoen in recent weeks. Avinor has said some recent long queues have been due to the training of staff who will work at the airport over the summer. Advertisement 'On very busy days like today and tomorrow, you may have to wait in line for 15–20 minutes,' Storm Røsaasen said. The airport has also had issues with a lack of staff in recent weeks. However, Røsaasen said that staffing levels at the airport looked good ahead of a busy few days at the airport.
Local Norway
20-05-2025
- Local Norway
Oslo Airport passengers warned long queues could continue for days
On Monday, travellers passing through Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, faced long waits at security, with delays stretching up to 40 minutes during the afternoon. Although lines cleared by 8 pm, Norwegian airport operator Avinor has warned that similar wait times could return in the coming days due to ongoing staffing challenges. 'We currently do not have a queue at security checkpoints, but we expect that there may be longer waiting times during periods on Tuesday as well,' Helene W. Jensen from Avinor told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation ( NRK ) on Monday. Staff shortages The delays are primarily linked to staff shortages among security personnel, particularly a lack of employees responsible for heavy luggage screening and physical security checks. The situation has been worsened by high levels of sick leave and the ongoing onboarding of new staff ahead of the summer travel season. 'This is due to both sickness absence among the guards, but we are also training new guards who will help with summer traffic,' Jensen explained. Advice for travellers Avinor is urging passengers to follow the guidelines provided by airlines and arrive well in advance of their flights to avoid unnecessary stress. 'Arrive well in advance and at the time the airline says,' Jensen said. Avarn, the company responsible for airport security, is also addressing the issue. Advertisement CEO Kjell Frode Vik acknowledged the staffing problem and the challenges it presents. 'There is a crew challenge in terms of the number of people at work. It is not so easy to turn around and get 20 extra people, if we see that there is a need,' Vik said. He added that Avarn is working to train more personnel to avoid similar delays during the busy summer season. 'We are now continuously training new people so that summer traffic runs smoothly.' While Monday's queues eventually eased, both Avinor and Avarn cautioned that current staffing levels could mean more delays in the coming days.
Local Norway
30-04-2025
- Local Norway
Norway's Avinor issues airport advice to travellers ahead of busy weekend
From Wednesday to Sunday, 542,000 passengers are expected to pass through Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim airports, according to figures from state-owned airport operator Avinor . The reason for the busy few days is Thursday is a public holiday, and Friday is what's referred to as an inneklemt dag in Norwegian. This means squeezed day and refers to a day between a public holiday and a weekend. Booking a squeezed day off is popular as it allows people to maximise their annual leave. Avinor has asked travellers with hand luggage to be well prepared for security lines to ensure the smoothest possible experience for themselves and others. 'Especially on long weekends like this, there are a lot of people who travel with hand luggage, and this luggage has to be scanned and checked,' Monica Iren Fasting, communications manager for Avinor, said. Advertisement 'It takes time, but there is a lot that travellers themselves can do to shorten the waiting time. If you take out liquids, chargers, and electronic items while you are standing in line and are well prepared, you help shorten the waiting time for everyone behind you,' she added. READ ALSO: The new flights from Norway this spring and summer Avinor also said travellers with morning and afternoon flights should consider allowing themselves extra time as these will be the busiest time of day at airports.
Local Norway
11-04-2025
- Local Norway
Everything you need to know about travel in Norway for Easter 2025
Travel by road Kids break up for the Easter break, Påskeferie, once school ends on Friday, April 11th. However, according to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the roads aren't expected to be too busy on Friday. Friday 11th is expected to be similar to a normal Friday. The reason is that Easter is quite late this year, and it's been a poor year for snow in many mountainous areas. Therefore, many are expected to spend their Easter holidays close to the coast or in the lowlands, The worst traffic when travelling by road is expected on the Wednesday before Maundy Thursday. Maundy Thursday is a public holiday in Norway, meaning workers will then be off until the Tuesday after Easter Sunday. Those who will be heading to the roads on Wednesday are advised to avoid travelling around midday or the early afternoon. The public has also been asked to pay attention to the weather and road conditions before travelling. Those who will be driving over Easter can use the service to plan their journey. Air travel More than 1.6 million people are expected to travel via Norwegian airports over the Easter break. Friday, April 11th, will be the busiest day at Norwegian airports. This is according to the airport operator Avinor. Nearly one million trips will be domestic as many travel around the country to visit friends and family. Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger will see more than 141,000 travellers on Friday, so arriving at the airport in good time is recommended. This year is expected to be particularly busy for air travel. 'Even before the Easter outing had started, we saw numbers that beat last year's Easter by a good margin,' Thorgeir Landevaag, executive director for airports in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger, said in a press release . Advertisement Landevaag asked passengers travelling with hand luggage only to prepare extra well for security checks to minimise queues. Strikes have disrupted flights to Greece and Italy in recent days. However, it isn't clear if industrial action will continue over Easter. Travellers to the UK will need to be aware that operation workers at Gatwick Airport will strike over the Easter weekend. Rail travel Network rail operator Bane Nor typically uses Easter to carry out works on tracks , meaning that some rail travel will be disrupted. Bane Nor will work on the Spikkestadbanen and Hovedbanen lines from April 12th until April 27th. Furthermore, the Bergen Line between Hønefoss and Geilo will be closed from the afternoon of April 17th until the morning of Easter Sunday. Advertisement Work will also be carried out in Drammen in preparation for the new station opening in August. What else do I need to know? Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are all public holidays. This means you can expect large supermarkets to be closed, as well as things like banks. It will also be impossible to purchase alcohol on these days unless sitting in at a bar or restaurant. If you really get stuck, there will be convenience stores open, although don't expect much in the way of a selection if you have ambitious dinner plans. Museums and other attractions will also close.
