A ground workers' strike which has shut six Norwegian airports, and may close a further six on Tuesday, is affecting the North Sea oil and gas industry by hindering helicopter flights to offshore platforms.
Norway's biggest oil and gas producer StatoilHydro said it was coping with the strike by re-routing helicopters to airports still unaffected by the dispute.
Airport owner Avinor said the airport in Stavanger, Norway's oil capital and home to StatoilHydro's headquarters, was among those to close on Tuesday unless it can reach a last minute wage deal with unions.
The four-day-old strike has already shut airports in Bergen, Norway's second largest city and another base for helicopter traffic to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as as Narvik, Molde, Mo i Rana, Mosjoen and Kristiansund.
Last week unions representing airport workers responsible for rescue services, fire fighting and security rejected Avinor's wage offer, holding out for better terms. Details of the talks have not been revealed.
Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded during Norway's national day holiday at the weekend, with cancellation of Bergen-Oslo fights having the biggest impact.
"Things are even more deadlocked now than on Friday," strike leader Tor Erik Granum told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
Avinor said Norway's biggest airport, Oslo Gardermoen, remains open. From May 20, airports in Stavanger, Alta, Leknes, Sandnessjoen, Songdal and Svolvaer were due to close.
The Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion, Bjarne Haakon Hanssen, said the two sides had to find a solution and played down prospects for government intervention at this stage.
"The conflict is a part of wage negotiations between the parties, and the consequences of this strike are the groups' responsibility," Hanssen said in a statement.
He said the ministry would only intervene if life or health were threatened, or if the strike were to cause "significant social damage".
