Brussels Airport has told airlines, ground-handling agents and travel management companies that no passenger flights will depart from the Belgian capital on Wednesday 26 November because a nationwide strike will leave key security-screening and ramp-handling posts unmanned. The airport authority said the decision was taken now so carriers could proactively notify passengers, reroute crews and reposition aircraft rather than making last-minute cancellations.
The walk-out is part of a three-day mobilisation by Belgium’s three largest trade-union confederations against austerity measures in the 2026 federal budget. While the first two days target rail and wider public-sector services, unions representing airport screeners (G4S Security) and baggage handlers (Aviapartner and Alyzia) have confirmed they will join the 26 November action. Brussels Airport stressed that “some arriving flights may also be cancelled” because landing slots could be wasted if aircraft cannot be turned around for the next sector.
![Brussels Airport to halt all departures on 26 November as nationwide strike looms]()
For business-travel managers the timing could hardly be worse. The 26 November stop-page falls in the mid-week corporate travel peak and just ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, when many multinationals fly staff between Brussels and North America. Airlines including Lufthansa Group, United Airlines and Air Canada have already invoked “ex-gratia” waiver policies that allow one free rebooking within a defined travel window, but seat availability is tight as load factors have returned to 2019 levels on most trans-Atlantic routes.
Cargo operators will also feel the pinch. Brussels Airport handled 843,000 tonnes of freight last year and has become a key distribution hub for pharmaceutical cold-chain shipments. Several forwarders told The Bulletin that temperature-controlled consignments scheduled to arrive on the 26th are being re-booked into Liège or Luxembourg to avoid spoilage risks. The strike will additionally hit the airport’s landside logistics park, where companies such as DHL Global Forwarding and Expeditors rely on just-in-time pallet feeds to meet evening export cut-offs.
Travellers already ticketed for 26 November are advised to contact their airline now rather than waiting for automatic notifications, to allow more routing options via Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt. Employers with time-critical assignments should check Belgian labour-law provisions: if an employee’s flight is cancelled due to a nationwide strike, the day is legally classified as a force-majeure absence rather than paid leave, but expense-policy guidelines on overnight accommodation differ by sector.
The walk-out is part of a three-day mobilisation by Belgium’s three largest trade-union confederations against austerity measures in the 2026 federal budget. While the first two days target rail and wider public-sector services, unions representing airport screeners (G4S Security) and baggage handlers (Aviapartner and Alyzia) have confirmed they will join the 26 November action. Brussels Airport stressed that “some arriving flights may also be cancelled” because landing slots could be wasted if aircraft cannot be turned around for the next sector.
For business-travel managers the timing could hardly be worse. The 26 November stop-page falls in the mid-week corporate travel peak and just ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, when many multinationals fly staff between Brussels and North America. Airlines including Lufthansa Group, United Airlines and Air Canada have already invoked “ex-gratia” waiver policies that allow one free rebooking within a defined travel window, but seat availability is tight as load factors have returned to 2019 levels on most trans-Atlantic routes.
Cargo operators will also feel the pinch. Brussels Airport handled 843,000 tonnes of freight last year and has become a key distribution hub for pharmaceutical cold-chain shipments. Several forwarders told The Bulletin that temperature-controlled consignments scheduled to arrive on the 26th are being re-booked into Liège or Luxembourg to avoid spoilage risks. The strike will additionally hit the airport’s landside logistics park, where companies such as DHL Global Forwarding and Expeditors rely on just-in-time pallet feeds to meet evening export cut-offs.
Travellers already ticketed for 26 November are advised to contact their airline now rather than waiting for automatic notifications, to allow more routing options via Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt. Employers with time-critical assignments should check Belgian labour-law provisions: if an employee’s flight is cancelled due to a nationwide strike, the day is legally classified as a force-majeure absence rather than paid leave, but expense-policy guidelines on overnight accommodation differ by sector.
