No flights will take off or land in Belgium on Thursday 13 February. A national strike is being organised by the joint trade union front on this day, causing major disruption.
A national trade union protest will be taking place in Brussels on Thursday, accompanied by nationwide strike action. Belgium's largest airport in Zaventem was the first to announce no passenger flights would depart on this day because its handling agents and security personnel are participating in the strike en masse. It noted some arriving flights may also be affected. Brussels-South Airport in Charleroi also promptly cancelled all flights scheduled to depart from the airport.
However, late on Tuesday, unions at Belgium's air traffic controller Skeyes confirmed they were joining Thursday's strike between 06:45 and 22:15. This means that no flights to or from Belgium will be operating, except humanitarian flights. This also affects people with connecting flights in Belgium.
People pictured in front of the arrivals timetable during a strike at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Monday 13 January 2025. Credit: Belga
Not showing as cancelled
People who were scheduled to fly on Thursday are asked not to come to the affected airports. Airlines should contact passengers whose flights have been impacted, but passengers are advised to check the status themselves.
All flights scheduled to depart from Charleroi show up on the website as cancelled or diverted to Maastricht. Some arriving flights are also diverted to the Dutch airport, while others have not yet been cancelled. Brussels Airport's website also does not show all arriving and departing flights as cancelled.
However, Brussels Airport confirmed to The Brussels Times that all flights to and from Belgium will indeed be cancelled from 06:45 until 22:15. "If flights are not yet indicated as cancelled, this is because the systems are still updating."
The airline TUI fly announced on Wednesday that it would divert some of its flights to nearby airports in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Düsseldorf. Other flights will be postponed. The airline will inform affected passengers.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
Consumer protection organisation Test Achats has reiterated the rights of passengers in response to these cancellations. A strike by airport personnel – as will be the case on Thursday – is considered a force majeure for the airlines. This means they can limit their liability.
"However, this does not mean that passengers have no rights. The airline must offer them either an alternative flight or, if that is unsuitable for the passenger, a refund of the ticket price," said Test Achats spokesperson Laura Clays.
Additionally, airlines must offer assistance to travellers stranded abroad, including drinks and meals, transport and possibly a hotel stay until the next available flight.
"If the airline does not proactively offer meals and an overnight stay, for example in the form of a voucher, we advise passengers to keep proof of the costs incurred so that they can request a refund upon their return," said Clays.
Because of the force majeure principle, passengers cannot demand additional compensation for any other damages they may have incurred, such as a missed overnight stay or car rental costs.
This article was updated at 13:31 on Wednesday 12 February to include the latest information.
