Informational Guide to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL) - Non Official

Our Review of Oslo Airport

Our Review of Oslo Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

 

Pros and Cons of Oslo Airport

PROS

Accessibility:  Oslo airport is easily accessible via the Flytoget (Airport Express Train), regional trains, buses, and taxis. This proximity provides it an easy entryway to Oslo and the neighboring areas.

Hub & Operating base: OSL Airport is a hub for Scandinavian Airlines, Winderøe, Norwegian Air Shuttle and operating base for Norse Atlantic Airways. For Scandinavian Airlines, Operating base for Norse Atlantic Airways, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Widerøe.

Modern Facilities: The airport has a contemporary design and modern amenities, such as shops, restaurants, lounges, and business services. It’s well-equipped to accommodate both leisure and business tourists.

Sustainability Initiatives: Oslo Airport is recognized for its commitment to sustainability, with energy-efficient buildings, electric vehicle charging stations, and other eco-friendly practices that reduce its environmental footprint.

Efficiency: Known for its smooth operations, the airport generally has efficient baggage handling and short security wait times, contributing to a pleasant travel experience.

 

CONS

Distance from City Center: Although well-connected, the airport is still 35 kilometers from Oslo’s city center, which may result in a longer journey time than some other large airports located closer to their respective cities.

Occasional Congestion: While the airport is generally efficient, it can get congested during peak travel periods, resulting in significant delays and increased wait times, especially at security and immigration.

Weather-Related Disruptions: The weather in Oslo, especially in the winter, can often cause aircraft delays or cancellations, which might disrupt travel plans.

High Parking Fees: Parking at Oslo Airport may be costly, especially for long-term parking, which may discourage tourists who prefer to drive to the airport.

Traffic Congestion: During peak hours, the roads going to and from Oslo Airport may get very congested. This can cause delays, especially for those going by vehicle or cab, and can add stress to the journey if not planned ahead of time.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Single Terminal: Oslo Airport has a single main terminal that serves both domestic and international flights. The terminal is well-organized, however you should know which gate area your flight departs from, especially if you have to go through extra security for international flights.

Transport to and from Oslo: The Flytoget (Airport Express Train), regional trains, buses, taxis, and transfer services all connect the airport to Oslo and its surroundings. The Flytoget is one of the fastest ways to get to Oslo Central Station, arriving in about 20 minutes.

Check-in areas: Check-in area of the Oslo Airport terminal is located in departure level. At the departures area there are 34 walk-through check-in desks.

Shopping and Dining:  Oslo Airport has a diverse selection of stores, restaurants, and cafes that serve both Norwegian and foreign cuisine. Oslo Airport is noted for its clean and contemporary facilities, which provide a comfortable atmosphere for passengers.

Family-Friendly Facilities:  Oslo Airport is well-equipped for families, with children’s play spaces, family toilets, and baby-changing stations located throughout the airport. There are also kid-friendly dining options and enough seating.

Lounges:  Choose from various lounges that provide comfy seats, complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi, and a quiet spot to relax before your flight.

Additional Tip: Oslo Airport has free and fast Wi-Fi throughout the terminal, making it simple to remain connected, catch up on work, or surf the web while you wait for your flight.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

  • On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
  • Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
  • Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Annual Passengers Evolution

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Norwegian

37% (Total flights analyzed: 10283)

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

33% (Total flights analyzed: 9167)

Wideroe

5% (Total flights analyzed: 1409)

Norwegian Air International

3% (Total flights analyzed: 829)

Lufthansa

3% (Total flights analyzed: 742)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Oslo Airport (last 3 months)

Considering all airlines:

Air Premia

100% (Total flights analyzed: 6)

DAT - Danish Air Transport

96% (Total flights analyzed: 720)

Wideroe

94% (Total flights analyzed: 1409)

Volotea

93% (Total flights analyzed: 27)

Iberia

92% (Total flights analyzed: 99)

Norse Atlantic Airways

90% (Total flights analyzed: 91)

Ryanair

88% (Total flights analyzed: 197)

Brussels Airlines

88% (Total flights analyzed: 132)

Transavia France

87% (Total flights analyzed: 68)

Transavia.com

86% (Total flights analyzed: 35)

Considering only airlines with more than 10 flights/week:

DAT - Danish Air Transport

96% (Total flights analyzed: 720)

Wideroe

94% (Total flights analyzed: 1409)

Brussels Airlines

88% (Total flights analyzed: 132)

Ryanair

88% (Total flights analyzed: 197)

Wizz Air

82% (Total flights analyzed: 165)

Icelandair

82% (Total flights analyzed: 188)

Norwegian Air International

81% (Total flights analyzed: 829)

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

78% (Total flights analyzed: 9167)

Air Baltic

77% (Total flights analyzed: 210)

Turkish Airlines

76% (Total flights analyzed: 271)

Routes with more flights from Oslo Airport (last month)

Trondheim - TRD (Norway): 617
Bergen - BGO (Norway): 603
Copenhagen - CPH (Denmark): 530
Stavanger - SVG (Norway): 518
Stockholm - ARN (Sweden): 475
Tromso - TOS (Norway): 326
Bodo - BOO (Norway): 267
Amsterdam - AMS (Netherlands): 261
London - LHR (United Kingdom): 214
Aalesund - AES (Norway): 196