Oslo  - A five-day-long strike by civil aviation employees that forced the closure of 12 Norwegian airports ended early Wednesday following a deal between unions and employers.

The labour conflict began Friday after talks failed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The absence of 400 striking civil aviation employees forced airport closures due to insufficient staff to respond to possible emergencies or fires.

Among the airports that were closed was Sola that serves the west coast city of Stavanger which usually has some 11,000 passengers per day and is a major hub for the key oil and gas industry.

The country's main airport, Oslo Gardermoen, remained open but flights were cancelled there too.

Sverre Quale, chief executive of the civil aviation authority Avinor, said the agency "strongly regrets the consequences the strike has had on passengers and airlines."

Quale added it would take some time to resume normal operations at the airports impacted by the labour conflict and advised passengers to consult websites operated by the respective airlines or Avinor over possible cancellations.

Lise Olsen, leader of the negotiating team for trade union confederation LO Stat that organizes the government-hired employees, told Norwegian news agency NTB that the union was satisfied with the deal but regretted the disruptions.

On Tuesday some 330 flights were cancelled by carriers SAS Norway, Norwegian and Wideroe, affecting some 31,000 passengers. (dpa)