Pictures from the arrival hall at Gardermoen are excellent advertising for Norwegian holidays. Hundreds of travelers, all of whom have arrived at Oslo Airport from abroad on Sunday, stand in a long, winding queue from one end of the arrival hall to the other.
– “Many hundreds” of people are waiting to be tested in Gardermoen’s arrival hall. Photo: Simen Askjer / TV 2
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Avinor says that the flow at check-in, security checks and domestic travel is generally going well. The problem seems to be at the test station for travelers from abroad. The entry rules state that everyone must take a corona test when entering Norway.
The test station at the airport is operated by Ullensaker municipality, which can not say anything about the exact waiting time on Sunday afternoon.
Confusion and sneaking
TV 2’s reporter Simen Askjer is among the travelers at Gardermoen, after having been on a reportage trip in Germany.
He estimates that there is a waiting time of more than two hours before arriving at the test station, before having to wait 30 minutes for the test result.
Reporter Askjer says there are “many hundreds” in the queue, and says the mood is partly amp.
– Many take the queue with composure, but some are visibly very annoyed. It is questionable whether it is good infection control to stand in such a tight queue, when you have recently been tested, Askjer says.
Travelers coming from countries marked as “green” on the health authorities’ map of Europe must test themselves in the same way as those arriving from “red” countries. This leads to a lot of confusion in the queue, and Askjer says that the guards at the airport have their hands full answering the same questions over and over again.
– TV 2’s reporter estimates a waiting time of two and a half hours for travelers. Photo: Simen Askjer / TV 2
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– It obviously also irritates that many sneak in the queues, says Askjer, who himself has observed several cases of sneaking.
No TV 2 contacts in the queue want to be interviewed, but a man says that he misses information about the organization when you arrive at the arrival hall.
Can’t test faster
Press contact for Ullensaker’s test station, Roger Sandum, says the test capacity is maximized in connection with the summer holidays.
– We have scaled up the testing to the maximum of what we can handle within the area we have available. Although everyone thinks that Gardermoen is a large airport, there is a limited area in the arrival hall, which is where we must have the test stations, Sandum explains.
– The queue winds from one side of the arrival hall to the other. Photo: Simen Askjer / TV 2
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Maximum capacity means that there are currently ten open test lines. 30 to 40 employees are at work at all times, and Sandum says that you simply do not have the opportunity to test faster.
– You just have to accept it. Avinor has gone out several times and said that if you travel abroad, you must expect four to five hours in line. The current entry restrictions we have now will give a queue, and we are not able to test faster, says Sandum.
No improvement right away
Sandum i understands that people are frustrated, but encourages everyone who is waiting to be tested to maintain good infection control, also in the queue.
– The most important thing is that people are aware of the infection control rules, that you do not get together in the queue, keep your distance from the other travelers and wear a bandage, Sandum encourages.
– The queue goes towards the test stations, which work at maximum capacity. Photo: Simen Askjer / TV 2
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If you are still on holiday abroad, or are going to travel later this summer, Avinor warns that the queues at Gardermoen will not get smaller immediately. There are more and more people traveling, which means more and more waiting time at the test stations.
Avinor’s travel tips for trips abroad
Tips for those traveling abroad:
- Be prepared and have documentation ready in good time before you arrive at the counter.
- Check what requirements apply to you, and what documentation you must have with you. NB! Also check the requirements for countries you stopover in.
- Most people going abroad have to check in at a staffed counter due to document control. Some airlines have solutions that allow you to register your documentation digitally. Follow the information from your airline.
- Arrive well in advance
Tips for travelers arriving in Norway:
- Fill out the travel registration form before you arrive in Norway: https://reg.entrynorway.no/
- Vaccinated? Log in Helsenorge.no and / or have a corona certificate / QR code ready before you arrive at the border control.
- Have all necessary documentation ready for inspection.
- Follow signs and instructions from employees at the airport.
- Queues and waiting time must be expected.
- Show consideration and use a face mask.
- Lubricate yourself with a little extra patience
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– There is an increase in the number of passengers week by week, and the number of passengers seems to be somewhat higher around the weekends. Control and testing means that there will be queues and waiting time for those who land from abroad further into the summer, says Cathrine F. Framholt, marketing and communications manager at Avinor.
She points out that Avinor has previously warned about long queues at airports, and says waiting time has become part of the package when traveling abroad.
– In addition, I would encourage you to be out well in advance when you travel and to lubricate yourself with a little extra patience if you come from abroad. Our impression is that the vast majority have a great understanding that it takes time to ensure the implementation of the regulations around corona. Of course, it is also understandable that it is boring to wait in a test queue, but this is part of traveling abroad now, Framholt concludes.
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