Belgian Airports Halt All Departures on March 31 Amid Nationwide Strike

Both the Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport in Belgium have announced that all departure flights will be cancelled on March 31 because of a national strike. Unions FGTB/ABVV and CSC/ACV have called the strike to protest the government’s proposed reforms of labour and pensions. The strike is the second planned over the new government’s labour market reforms.

Brussels Airport reported participation in the strike with security staff and ground crews, making any operations impossible. In total, 244 flights scheduled for departure have been canceled with potential for cancellations of flights arriving at Brussels Airport as well. Brussels Airlines has reached out to impacted passengers and is offering refunds or free rebooking.

The impact is important with the previous strikes in January and February which caused significant disruptions to travel. The airport is asking passengers to verify flight statuses prior to arriving. As Belgian rail unions are also on strike, the country is expected to experience major transport disruptions, affecting thousands of passengers.