OSLO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- An ongoing strike by Norwegian air traffic controllers caused widespread flight disruptions on Saturday, with Oslo Airport set to suspend air traffic for five hours on Sunday morning.
Airports in western Norway were also affected on Saturday. Bergen Airport saw mounting delays and cancellations throughout the day, while major restrictions and temporary airspace closures over western Norway disrupted regular passenger services at Bergen and Stavanger airports in the evening.
Oslo Airport, the country's busiest, will be closed to air traffic from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT to 0930 GMT) on Sunday, according to state-owned airport operator Avinor. Major delays, cancellations and knock-on effects are expected throughout the day and across the country.
Norwegian Air Shuttle said it had canceled 72 flights scheduled during the closure. Around 95,000 passengers had been expected to travel through Oslo Airport on Sunday.
The strike began on Friday after negotiations between the Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers' Association and employers' organization Spekter and Avinor Flysikring failed to produce an agreement. Twelve air traffic controllers are currently taking part in the strike.
The union has announced that another eight controllers will join the strike from Tuesday. The expanded action will directly affect Tromso Airport and airspace over central and northern Norway, in addition to the airports and airspace already affected.
Avinor said the escalation could have serious consequences for tens of thousands of passengers.
Passengers have been advised to monitor information from their airlines and report to airports as usual unless notified otherwise. Avinor said the situation could change at short notice.
