Travel News for August 22nd, 2026

Norway’s ATC strike is getting worse. Still 12 controllers out; eight more join Tuesday. SAS cancelled 14 flights today. Sunday is the hard day: Oslo Gardermoen is set to close 6:30–11:30am, with knock-ons nationwide. If there’s no deal by midweek, Avinor is warning of overnight closures into Thursday, including Tromsø. Avinor

A Manhattan judge voided the 75-country immigrant-visa freeze. Friday’s ruling says the State Department’s January blanket stop on immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries was unlawful. This is family/residence visas, not tourist B-1/B-2, and it doesn’t lift the separate 39-country entry ban. State hadn’t commented as of this morning. Al Jazeera

Tropical Storm Moke’s outer bands hit Hawaii this weekend. Center stays south of the islands, but Big Island can see 5–10 inches of rain (isolated 15), heaviest Sunday–Monday, on ground still soaked from Hurricane Lala. Flash floods, mudslides, rough surf, and road issues are the real risk, not an airport shutdown on current forecasts. Hawaii News Now

Fiji’s Nadi Airport got a little more jet fuel, not a fix. Authorities released 1.3 million litres into stock today, but supply stays restricted until the next shipment. Non-scheduled flights should still fuel elsewhere; Qantas, Virgin, and others may keep tankering, tech-stopping, or cancelling. FijiVillage

Alaska put Seattle–Athens and Seattle–Paris on sale. First SEA–Athens nonstop and new SEA–Paris, both seasonal 787-9s from May 2027. Intro Main Cabin roundtrips from $999 through Wednesday, Aug 26. Alaska Airlines

Tom Royce

Tom Royce is a Wilmington, North Carolina-based traveler and writer whose love of movement started early. He began regular cross country trips from New York to California at 15, flew solo to Australia at 17, and studied in Europe during college. Those formative journeys set the tone for a life built around curiosity and independent exploration. He considers himself especially lucky to have married a flight attendant, which opened the door to years of extensive standby travel. Together they have turned the unpredictability of non-revenue flying into a flexible lifestyle of last-minute adventures, lingering stays, and off-the-beaten-path discoveries—most recently including time in Paris and a Rome-based exploration of Italy with day trips to Pompeii and the towns around Sorrento. Tom writes about the practical realities of off the beaten path travel, the quiet pleasures of secondary cities and regional trains, local food and cultural texture, and the art of turning limited time and open itineraries into memorable trips.

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