Belgium airport strike: Flights to be cancelled at airports in Brussels affecting up to 70,000 passengers due to strikes
Airports in Brussels are expected to grind to a halt on the 14 October, as strikes by security and ground staff are set to cancel all departing flights.
The strikes are expected to disrupt around 70,000 passengers. Brussels Airport is set to see all departing flights cancelled, and Brussels South Charleroi Airport is set to see all flights cancelled on 14 October.
According to its website, Brussels Airport’s website, the airport services on average 200 departures a day. It is a major hub for international flights, offering services to many British airports, including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
According to its website, Brussels Charleroi serves 150 arrivals and departures on average a day. It is also a hub for Ryanair, and offers 66 weekly flights to the UK, including 40 weekly flights to Manchester.
Security and ground services staff are set to walk out, with the airports cancelling flights on the day, due to an inability to safely process passengers without security staff. Some inbound flights at Brussels Airport are expected to be affected as well, although the extent of this is not yet certain, as levels of disruption for these flights will be determined by the yet undecided level of participation by airline staff.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Brussels Airport management has released a statement, saying: “Due to the national trade union action on Tuesday 14 October, in which the staff of the security service provider are participating, we unfortunately expect a major impact on our airport operations. In order to guarantee the safety of our passengers and staff, we have decided, in consultation with the airlines, not to allow any departing passenger flights to take place on 14 October.”
Brussels Charleroi Airport’s spokesperson, Nathalie Pierard, said: “Due to the national day of action planned for Tuesday, October 14, as part of a joint union front, and the lack of staff present to ensure safe operations, all flights scheduled to and from Charleroi Airport on that day will be cancelled.” These strikes continue a series of industrial actions that have been affecting Belgium since the start of 2025, as unions protest government proposals to raise the retirement age, and reform pensions.
In February, strikes protesting the same issue cancelled 430 flights at Brussels Airport. The strike is being called as part of a wider set of Belgian industrial action taking place on the 14th. Unions across the country are striking in protest against a savings plan that has been put forward by the Belgian government.
Ivalyo Danilov, CEO of air passenger rights specialists SkyRefund comments on the disruption: “There has been a number of strikes in the aviation sector across Europe in recent months, tens of thousands of passengers across the UK and Europe have had their trips disrupted. Strikes can be confusing for passengers looking to claim compensation, as strikes by airline staff are considered to be within an airline’s control, while most strikes by ground staff and airport staff are not.
“However, during strikes, the actual reason for you flight being disrupted may be your airline after all. Because of this, we always recommend using a free compensation calculator, to check what you are owed.
“Regardless of why your flight is cancelled or delayed, airlines do have a duty of care to their passengers, and must help with reasonable accommodation, food and drinks for passengers who are substantially delayed, which will be important for most passengers affected by this strike.”