Widespread Flight Cancellations Ground European Travel
Travellers across Europe are facing severe disruption after Brussels Airport confirmed the cancellation of 110 out of 203 scheduled incoming flights on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. The widespread industrial action, protesting government austerity plans, has forced the airport into a major operational crisis, with an unspecified number of departing flights also scrapped.
Strike Action Paralyzes Airport Operations
The root of the chaos lies with a nationwide strike involving a significant portion of the airport's security and ground-handling staff. In an official statement, Brussels Airport warned passengers: “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.” The situation is so severe that the airport indicated almost all arrivals are likely to be grounded.
The ripple effects are being felt internationally. British Airways has proactively cancelled all of its flight links between London Heathrow and Brussels for the entire day, leaving passengers stranded. A spokesperson for Brussels Airport stated that it will be the responsibility of individual airlines to reroute passengers affected by the cancelled services.
Budget Deal Fails to Halt Industrial Unrest
This major travel disruption unfolds against a tense political backdrop. The strikes are a direct response to the Belgian government's austerity measures, even as Prime Minister Bart De Wever's five-party coalition reached a budget agreement on Monday after marathon negotiations that began on Sunday morning.
Marie Helene Ska, general secretary of the Belgian trade union confederation ACV-CSC, defended the escalating strike action. “This escalating strike strategy is necessary,” she stated. “The alternative – allowing the austerity measures to proceed unchallenged – would mean accepting a fundamental restructuring of Belgium’s social model.”
The newly agreed budget, as reported by financial daily De Tijd, includes tax hikes on share purchases, airplane tickets, and natural gas, alongside a new tax on banks. Combined with spending cuts, the plan aims to reduce the government deficit by 9.2 billion euros by 2029. Belgium's deficit is projected to hit 4.5% of GDP this year, with debt at 104.7% of GDP—figures that far exceed EU budget rules.
Despite the budget deal, the industrial action continues, and further travel misery is on the horizon. Rail workers, who are facing a higher retirement age, have already planned additional strikes for the New Year, signalling that Belgium's period of industrial unrest is far from over.
