Around 140 flights to and from Brussels Airport are expected to be cancelled on Friday due to strike action by ground handling staff, with UK routes to London and Manchester among those affected. The disruption stems from nationwide protests, with staff from ground handler Alyzia taking part in the industrial action.
Airport statement and affected airlines
Brussels Airport confirmed in a statement on its website: "On Friday 9 October there is a national manifestation. Part of the staff from ground handler Alyzia is expected to take part in this action. Based on the current information approximately half of the flights handled by Alyzia is expected to operate as planned. Unfortunately, a number of flights will have to be cancelled. We regret the inconvenience caused by this union action."
The disruption will impact Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Air Arabia, and United Airlines. Brussels Airlines services to Heathrow at 4.55pm, to Manchester at 10am and 9.30pm, from Manchester at 8.30am and 1.30pm, and from Heathrow at 8pm have all been cancelled. Flights to and from Paris, Budapest, Madrid and Chicago are also caught up in the disruption.
Services operating as normal
Despite this, all British Airways services on Friday to and from the Belgian hub are still scheduled to operate as normal, along with flights to and from Edinburgh. Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air remain unaffected, as their ground handling operations at the airport are managed by a separate provider.
Brussels Airlines confirmed its workforce is not participating in the demonstrations, stating: "We regret that this is already the third time this year that our flight schedule has been seriously disrupted by industrial action taken by external parties. This action is disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers and is having a significant financial impact on Brussels Airlines."
Passenger rights and further disruption
Flight cancellations resulting from strikes are classified as "extraordinary circumstances" and beyond the airline's control, meaning passengers are not entitled to compensation. Nevertheless, airlines must rebook or refund flights free of charge, and supply food, drink and accommodation where necessary.
Airlines partnering with Alyzia will contact passengers directly to update them on their flight status and available options. The firm handles baggage processing, ramp operations, de-icing, aircraft cleaning and cargo transport, delivering baggage handling and passenger aircraft ground support for approximately 20 airlines at Brussels Airport.
Industrial action is also anticipated on Monday throughout public services in Belgium, though this will not affect air traffic. Public transport is, however, likely to face disruption and could delay journeys to and from Brussels Airport.
