Snowstorm at Gardermoen: 50 departures cancelled. Many flights delayed by hours
Heavy, wet snow disrupted operations at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on Thursday, 12 November. By 22:20, 50 departures had been cancelled, and more than half of the aircraft that did depart were at least an hour late. Late in the evening, 24 aircraft were still waiting to take off.
Aircraft at the terminal at Oslo Gardermoen Airport.
fot.Ai
Update, 22:20: we have added information on cancelled and delayed flights.
The airport remained open throughout the day, but operations were much slower than usual. Crews continuously cleared snow from the area, and every aircraft had to be de-iced before take-off. “Heavy and wet snow made this a difficult day for us,” Helene W. Jensen of Avinor, the state-owned airport operator, told VG.
The airport remained open throughout the day, but operations were much slower than usual. Crews continuously cleared snow from the area, and every aircraft had to be de-iced before take-off. “Heavy and wet snow made this a difficult day for us,” Helene W. Jensen of Avinor, the state-owned airport operator, told VG.
Most cancellations were to Stavanger, Trondheim and Ålesund
According to Avinor data checked at 22:20, 50 of Thursday’s 291 departures were cancelled. Most of them, 33, were domestic services: five each to Stavanger, Trondheim and Ålesund, as well as four to Bergen. Seventeen international flights were also cancelled, including services to Stockholm, Berlin, Helsinki, Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen and Rome. In addition, 43 of 289 arrivals did not take place.
Of the 216 aircraft that had departed by 22:20, 122 left at least one hour behind schedule. Forty-nine were delayed by at least two hours, and 21 by at least three hours. The longest delay was almost five hours.
At 22:20, 24 aircraft, mostly bound for cities in Norway, were still assigned revised departure times. Two evening flights to Bergen were postponed until after midnight.
Of the 216 aircraft that had departed by 22:20, 122 left at least one hour behind schedule. Forty-nine were delayed by at least two hours, and 21 by at least three hours. The longest delay was almost five hours.
At 22:20, 24 aircraft, mostly bound for cities in Norway, were still assigned revised departure times. Two evening flights to Bergen were postponed until after midnight.
International flights were also delayed. None of the seven Thursday departures from Gardermoen to Poland, for example, was cancelled, but the morning services left two to three hours late.
“We cannot leave the plane or buy food”
One of the passengers described the situation on the flight to Gdańsk to VG. “We boarded as early as 10:18 and have been sitting in the cabin ever since, while the departure keeps being postponed. We cannot leave the plane or buy food or drinks,” she said.
The situation was similar on a plane to Rome, scheduled to depart at 09:30.
At around 14:30, one passenger reported that 16 aircraft had been ahead of them in the de-icing queue half an hour earlier. “We have been on board for almost five hours and nobody has offered us food. When we ask the crew for a simple snack, we are told that we can leave the plane if we want something to eat,” he said.
Catharina Solli, a Norwegian spokesperson, explained that the aircraft were waiting both for snow clearance and de-icing. “We had aircraft that needed 40 minutes to reach the gate because they had to wait for snow clearance. Snowfall had been forecast, but the heavy snow is making the situation even more difficult,” she said.
The situation was similar on a plane to Rome, scheduled to depart at 09:30.
At around 14:30, one passenger reported that 16 aircraft had been ahead of them in the de-icing queue half an hour earlier. “We have been on board for almost five hours and nobody has offered us food. When we ask the crew for a simple snack, we are told that we can leave the plane if we want something to eat,” he said.
Catharina Solli, a Norwegian spokesperson, explained that the aircraft were waiting both for snow clearance and de-icing. “We had aircraft that needed 40 minutes to reach the gate because they had to wait for snow clearance. Snowfall had been forecast, but the heavy snow is making the situation even more difficult,” she said.
Flybussen cancelled services, Flytoget returned to its timetable
At around 12:30, Flybussen, the bus service taking passengers to the airport, suspended services on all routes until further notice. The operator said that buses could not get through because roads were blocked by other vehicles. Before setting off, check the Flybussen website to see whether buses are running again.
After 13:00, Flytoget trains ran less frequently and some services were cancelled. From 15:10, operations returned to normal, Camilla Hellum of Flytoget told VG.
After 13:00, Flytoget trains ran less frequently and some services were cancelled. From 15:10, operations returned to normal, Camilla Hellum of Flytoget told VG.
What passengers are entitled to in case of a delay
Avinor asks passengers to arrive at the airport at the usual time unless their airline provides different information. The current flight status can be checked on the Oslo Airport website and in the carrier’s app.
For a delay of at least two hours on routes of up to 1,500 km, the airline should provide food and drinks. Flights from Oslo to London, Warsaw, Vilnius or Riga are among those short routes. These rules are described by Forbrukerrådet, the Norwegian Consumer Council. If you pay for food yourself, keep the receipts.
If the delay reaches five hours, you may decide not to take the flight and claim a refund for your ticket.
Compensation (€250–600) is not due when a flight is delayed by circumstances beyond the airline’s control, such as bad weather. However, the carrier must demonstrate that this was indeed the case. We explained how to change a booking or get your money back when an airline cancels a flight entirely in the guide “How to organise a journey after a flight from Norway is cancelled?”.
For a delay of at least two hours on routes of up to 1,500 km, the airline should provide food and drinks. Flights from Oslo to London, Warsaw, Vilnius or Riga are among those short routes. These rules are described by Forbrukerrådet, the Norwegian Consumer Council. If you pay for food yourself, keep the receipts.
If the delay reaches five hours, you may decide not to take the flight and claim a refund for your ticket.
Compensation (€250–600) is not due when a flight is delayed by circumstances beyond the airline’s control, such as bad weather. However, the carrier must demonstrate that this was indeed the case. We explained how to change a booking or get your money back when an airline cancels a flight entirely in the guide “How to organise a journey after a flight from Norway is cancelled?”.
Snowfall is expected to stop overnight, roads may be icy in the morning
The yellow snow warning for Oslo, Akershus, Østfold, Vestfold, lower Buskerud and southern Innlandet expired on Thursday at 21:00. Meteorologist Johanne Ordahl from the Meteorological Institute told Dagbladet that the snowfall would stop overnight. However, many places may be icy on Friday morning, so she advises allowing extra time for the commute to work. According to the Institute’s forecast, temperatures near the airport will fall just below zero overnight.
Read also: Snow disrupts travel. When will Ruter reimburse a taxi ride?
Read also: Snow disrupts travel. When will Ruter reimburse a taxi ride?
How do you rate this article?