Norwegian civil aviation authorities closed the air space over downtown Bergen on Saturday at the urging of Norwegian police. Flights were forbidden over the area in order to help gain control over the air space in the wake of heightened concerns about a possible terrorist attack in Norway.
It’s the middle of the summer tourism season in Bergen and the annual Tall Ships Races are continuing in the west coast city this weekend as well. Police thus were expecting as many as a half-million people in town, and were taking extra precautions after Thursday’s announcement that “vague but credible threats” of terrorism had been lodged against Norway.
Bergen-based nationwide television station TV2 reported that the air space closure would not apply to air ambulances, search and rescue aircraft, the military or police.
Gustrav Landro of the Bergen Police District claimed there was “nothing dramatic” to the air space closure. “But we have nearly half-a-million people in Bergen this weekend and with the sharpened threat situation, it was important for us to know that air traffic over Bergen had been cleared,” Landro told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Flights in and out of Bergen’s main airport at Flesland, south of the city, were operating as normal with heightened security at the airport, at the main train station, on public transit and on the streets downtown. The flight restrictions over downtown were due to extend through Tuesday.
newsinenglish.no staff
