Brussels Airport and Charleroi: Two major European airports close down cancelling flights amid national strike

Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport, the main airports serving Belgium's capital, have cancelled flights on Monday, March 31. Brussels Airport will not operate any departing flights and warned that arriving flights could be impacted. Charleroi Airport has scrapped all flights, both departing and arriving.

Brussels Airport stated in an advisory on its website: “As departing passenger flights are cancelled, cancellations are also possible on arriving flights. We advise all passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline or on our website or the app.”

The strike could affect travel across Europe and globally, as several international airlines operate flights to and from Brussels Airport, including Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, easyJet, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Icelandair, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Vueling. Brussels Airlines has not yet cancelled any flights but is offering free rebooking options and refunds as a precautionary measure to help ease potential travel disruptions.

Charleroi Airport issued a similar statement regarding the strike. Passengers were advised: "Due to the national strike planned for Monday, March 31, as a joint trade 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. Passengers scheduled to fly to and from Charleroi next Monday will be contacted by their airline for a rebooking or refund. We regret the impact of this national strike on our passengers' travel plans and apologise for any inconvenience caused."