Copenhagen, Denmark — A technical problem caused Norwegian aviation authorities to temporarily close airspace over the south of the country on Thursday, causing major delays at Oslo airport, one of the largest in Scandinavia.
Airspace was gradually reopened after more than three hours, but delays would continue throughout the day, the state airport operator said.
In a statement, Avinor said that “the technical error occurred at the Oslo Control Center, which meant that airspace in southern Norway had significant restrictions.”
Priority will be given to long-haul flights, Avinor spokesperson Cathrine Fuglesang Framholt was quoted as saying by the Norwegian news agency NTB.
“It will be a long time before we completely return to normal,” said Fuglesang Framholt, according to NTB.
With around 25 million passengers a year, Oslo International Airport is the largest in Norway and is a major hub in Scandinavia along with Copenhagen and Stockholm airports.
Oslo-based Avinor manages 43 Norwegian airports.