Belgium’s aviation network faces severe disruption next week after Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) confirmed it will suspend every departure and arrival on Wednesday 26 November, the final day of a three-day nationwide strike. Security screeners, baggage handlers and ground-service contractors have announced their participation in coordinated union action against the Federal Government’s fiscal-reform plans.
Although the airport lies 60 kilometres south of Brussels, it is Belgium’s second-busiest hub and a critical gateway for low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and TUI fly. BSCA handled 9.4 million passengers in 2024—30 % of Belgium’s total air traffic—so a full shutdown will strand tens of thousands of travellers and create a ripple effect across European flight schedules. Airlines have begun contacting passengers to offer rerouting via Brussels Airport or Lille, free rebooking, or refunds, but seat inventory on alternative services is already tightening.
![Three-Day National Strike Grounds All Charleroi Flights on 26 November]()
The strikes form part of a broader protest wave against pension reforms, pay caps and proposed changes to Belgium’s 38-hour work-week. On Monday 24 November rail unions will halt most domestic and cross-border trains; on Tuesday public-sector workers including immigration-office staff plan walkouts that could slow passport control at ports and airports. Wednesday’s aviation stoppage is expected to be the most disruptive, prompting Charleroi to close pre-emptively for safety reasons.
Business-travel managers are advising assignees to avoid itineraries via Belgium between 24–26 November, to monitor airline notifications closely, and to build in additional time for ground transfers because local bus and taxi services may also be affected. Employers with time-sensitive mobility moves—such as fly-in maintenance crews—should prepare contingency plans that route personnel through Maastricht Aachen, Eindhoven or Paris-Beauvais airports and arrange private shuttles to Belgian sites.
Longer term, the episode underscores Belgium’s vulnerability to labour unrest in critical infrastructure and the need for multinational companies to maintain flexible travel policies, robust duty-of-care tracking and multi-hub evacuation options for expatriates and visiting staff.
Although the airport lies 60 kilometres south of Brussels, it is Belgium’s second-busiest hub and a critical gateway for low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and TUI fly. BSCA handled 9.4 million passengers in 2024—30 % of Belgium’s total air traffic—so a full shutdown will strand tens of thousands of travellers and create a ripple effect across European flight schedules. Airlines have begun contacting passengers to offer rerouting via Brussels Airport or Lille, free rebooking, or refunds, but seat inventory on alternative services is already tightening.
The strikes form part of a broader protest wave against pension reforms, pay caps and proposed changes to Belgium’s 38-hour work-week. On Monday 24 November rail unions will halt most domestic and cross-border trains; on Tuesday public-sector workers including immigration-office staff plan walkouts that could slow passport control at ports and airports. Wednesday’s aviation stoppage is expected to be the most disruptive, prompting Charleroi to close pre-emptively for safety reasons.
Business-travel managers are advising assignees to avoid itineraries via Belgium between 24–26 November, to monitor airline notifications closely, and to build in additional time for ground transfers because local bus and taxi services may also be affected. Employers with time-sensitive mobility moves—such as fly-in maintenance crews—should prepare contingency plans that route personnel through Maastricht Aachen, Eindhoven or Paris-Beauvais airports and arrange private shuttles to Belgian sites.
Longer term, the episode underscores Belgium’s vulnerability to labour unrest in critical infrastructure and the need for multinational companies to maintain flexible travel policies, robust duty-of-care tracking and multi-hub evacuation options for expatriates and visiting staff.
