Avinor's board meets on Wednesday to discuss how to avoid feared delays in air traffic during the Christmas rush. Employees will present calculations at the meeting that show that there are currently 82 controllers less than needed, up from earlier estimates of a shortage of 70 man-years.
"When in addition we know that management has not held an air traffic controller course in two years, we are worried about the future. It is completely wrong not to educate more people when we are already understaffed," said Magne Jerpstad, who represents the Norwegian Air Traffic Controller Union (NFF) on the Avinor board.
Avinor would not comment on any figures presented and only said that they hoped to achieve unified numbers after the Wednesday meeting.
In recent months increased sick leave at Avinor has led to a rise in flight delays. Management believes that this is an illegal form of veiled industrial action while the NFF says that this recurring problem reflects understaffing and the high absence rate normal during a restructuring.
Avinor and its controllers have been feuding since a plan of restructuring and cutbacks began in 2003.
Minister of Transport Liv Signe Navarsete has demanded that Avinor management clear things up at Wednesday's board meeting and she said she would express whether the Avinor board had the confidence of the ministry afterwards.