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Are domestic flights in Norway often delayed or cancelled because of the weather?

Winter weather, punctuality figures, rebooking and compensation.

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Short answer

Weather can delay or cancel domestic flights in Norway, especially in winter, yet Oslo Airport still had 80 per cent of departures on time in 2024. If bad weather grounds your flight, Widerøe, for example, automatically rebooks you on the first available departure, but weather counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so there is no compensation.

The most convenient routes to Norway a red train crossing a bridge, a small airplane above and a ferry on blue water below

Why

  1. Avinor reported 80 per cent departure punctuality at Oslo Airport in 2024 and described it as one of the most weather-exposed hub airports in the world.
  2. An Avinor note from 2023 found that the winter season, from 15 October to 15 April, has the biggest impact on operations at Oslo Airport.
  3. Widerøe follows EU Regulation 261/2004, under which bad weather is an extraordinary circumstance that gives no right to compensation.

Details

In the same Avinor note, average arrival punctuality at Oslo Airport in 2002–2020 was lowest in December, at about 75 per cent, against a target of 88 per cent. When Widerøe cancels a flight, you get the new itinerary by SMS if your mobile number is in the booking. With a delay of two hours or more Widerøe gives a NOK 150 food voucher, and NOK 300 with an overnight stay.

Tip

In winter, avoid tight connections to ferries, trains or international flights, and follow your flight in the Avinor app on the day you travel.

What may differ

Flights in Northern Norway follow the same rules: bad weather can cancel them, and you are rebooked rather than compensated. Many small northern airports are served by Widerøe's short-haul network, where a cancelled flight may mean waiting for the next departure, sometimes with a partner airline.

People also ask

  • Are flights in Northern Norway cancelled in bad weather?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check your airline and Avinor before you travel.

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