Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
With nearly 30 million travellers annually, Oslo-Gardermoen Airport is the largest in Norway, and the second largest in Scandinavia, after Copenhagen in Denmark.
Oslo-Gardermoen Airport: an international-level airport
While it connects with all Scandinavian countries, Finland, and the Baltic States, it remains an international airport. Oslo-Gardermoen operates flights throughout Europe as well as to neighbouring countries (Turkey, Israel, Gulf countries…). It also has a permanent transatlantic route to Miami with Norse Atlantic Airways, and numerous seasonal routes, some serving countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Although Norway is not part of the European Union, it has adopted several European regulations, including Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. Here we explain how your rights apply at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, and in Norway in general.
Your rights at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
Although it is not part of the European Union, Norway is also subject to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, like Switzerland and Iceland.
Legally speaking, Oslo-Gardermoen is considered a European airport. In cases of delay, cancellation, or denied boarding, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies in the same way.
This regulation establishes a fixed compensation scheme and eligibility criteria. In the event of an incident, the airline compensates you. However, this assumes they are at fault.
They will be exempt from compensating you:
- if they informed you at least two weeks in advance of the incident
- if they re-route you with similar departure and arrival times
- in cases of extraordinary circumstances (weather conditions, strikes, security risks…)
Compensation amounts
European legislation provides for afixed compensation scheme, which the European airline must pay you in cases of delay, cancellation, or denied boarding. This compensation amounts to:
- €250 for flights less than 1500 km with a delay of 2 hours or more
- €400 for intra-community flights over 1500 km or non-community flights between 1500 and 3500 km with a delay of 3 hours or more
- €600 for non-community flights over 3500 km with a delay of 4 hours or more
Which flights are covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004?
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies according to specific criteria. It covers:
- all flights departing from an airport located in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland
- flights to a European Union member state or to Norway, Switzerland, or Iceland, operated by an airline based in one of these countries.
As Oslo-Gardermoen Airport is in Norway, it is covered by this regulation.
Strike at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
European regulations consider a strike as an extraordinary circumstance. If it causes a delay or cancellation of a flight, the airline is not deemed responsible.
But it all depends on who is striking. An airport comprises many professions. Whether it's security, air traffic controllers, or baggage handlers, all are essential to the airport's smooth operation. However, they all have different employers.
If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to an air traffic controllers' strike, for example, the airline is not responsible. Therefore, they are not required to compensate you.
However, if it is their own staff on strike (cabin crew or ground staff), they are responsible. In this case, they must compensate you.
Compensation for a flight delay at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
We will focus here on flights departing from Oslo-Gardermoen, or arriving at Oslo-Gardermoen and operated by an airline based in a European Union member state, Norway, Switzerland, or Iceland.
If your flight is delayed, the airline's responsibility must be established. This also means the delay must be significant, as specified in the compensation amounts.
Below these thresholds, the delay is considered within reasonable limits. You are therefore not eligible for compensation.
Claiming compensation for a cancelled flight at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
If your flight is cancelled, the situation is slightly different. Compensation is due, even with a short delay.
However, this compensation can be halved if the airline offers you re-routing with a reasonable delay. It thus changes from:
- €250 to €125 for flights less than 1500 km with less than 2 hours delay
- €400 to €200 for non-community flights between 1500 and 3500 km or intra-community flights over 1500 km with less than 3 hours delay
- €600 to €300 for non-community flights over 3500 km with less than 4 hours delay.
Overbooking at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, the airline is responsible. This applies even in cases of strikes or other extraordinary circumstances.
They are therefore obliged to compensate you according to the same scale as cancellations.
What to do in case of a flight issue at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport?
If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you will usually find out via airport displays. But if you are denied boarding, you will know at the time it was supposed to occur.
In either case, the airline is the primary contact to approach. Even if the airline is not responsible for the incident, they still have several obligations:
- inform you of the reason for the incident
- in case of delay, cancellation, or denied boarding, offer you re-routing
- provide you with meals and drinks if you need to consume them at the airport
- cover your accommodation if your flight is postponed to the next day
- reimburse your phone calls, if applicable (you are entitled to two calls)
Delayed assists you in case of flight disruption at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
Was your flight disrupted departing from Oslo-Gardermoen? Or were you flying to Oslo-Gardermoen with a European airline? You may be eligible for a fixed compensation, as provided by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.
However, the process can be lengthy and the airline may not always be cooperative. Want to enforce your rights without the hassle? Delayed can assist you.
Delayed is a company specialising in air passenger rights. Contact us and claim up to €600 in compensation for your flight ticket.