Brussels Airport has cancelled 110 of its 203 scheduled incoming flights on Wednesday due to a national strike, a spokesperson confirmed. An unspecified number of departing flights have also been scrapped as a result of the industrial action.
The cancellations, first reported by Belgian broadcaster VRT, will require airlines to reroute affected passengers. No further cancellations are expected among the remaining 93 incoming flights. The strike involves a portion of the airport's security and ground-handling staff protesting against government austerity plans.
In a statement, Brussels Airport said: “Due to the national industrial action on Wednesday, 26 November in which the staff of the security and handling service provider is participating, we unfortunately expect major disruptions to our airport operations on that day.” Almost all arrivals are likely to be grounded, and British Airways has already cancelled its London Heathrow to Brussels services for the day.
Marie Helene Ska, general secretary of the Belgian trade union confederation ACV-CSC, said ahead of the strikes: “This escalating strike strategy is necessary. The alternative – allowing the austerity measures to proceed unchallenged – would mean accepting a fundamental restructuring of Belgium’s social model.”
The strikes come as the Belgian government reached an agreement on its budget for next year after months of tense negotiations. The deal includes tax hikes on share purchases, airplane tickets and natural gas, and a new tax on banks, and is intended to reduce the government deficit by 9.2 billion euros ($10.6 billion) by 2029. Belgium’s budget deficit is expected to hit 4.5% of GDP this year, with debt at 104.7% of GDP.
Further strikes by rail workers, who face a higher retirement age, are planned for the New Year.
