Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) will shut down passenger operations on Wednesday 26 November as staff join Belgium’s three-day national strike. The regional hub, heavily used by low-cost carriers and corporate shuttle charters, confirmed that neither departures nor arrivals will be handled, citing insufficient security and ground-handling capacity to guarantee safe operations.
Airlines have begun contacting affected passengers; Ryanair alone must rebook or refund nearly 20,000 seats. Travel-management companies warn that rerouting via Maastricht or Lille may be impractical because rail links will also be reduced on strike days. Logistics operators at the neighbouring cargo zone anticipate delays for time-sensitive life-science shipments that typically transit via BSCA’s dedicated cool-chain facility.
![Charleroi Airport to Ground All Flights on 26 November Amid Nationwide Walk-Out]()
The closure will ripple through Belgium’s wider transport ecosystem. Brussels Airport, 60 km north, has already cancelled all departing flights the same day, raising the likelihood of passenger overflow once services resume. Road access to Charleroi is expected to be hampered by picket lines, and rental-car firms have issued “no-show” fee waivers.
For employers with expatriate staff flying in for end-of-year meetings, the advice is clear: avoid itineraries touching Belgium between 24 and 27 November, build in extra travel days, and ensure travel insurance covers strike-related disruption. Companies should also prepare immigration-compliance extensions if residence-permit holders face overstays because of cancelled flights.
Airlines have begun contacting affected passengers; Ryanair alone must rebook or refund nearly 20,000 seats. Travel-management companies warn that rerouting via Maastricht or Lille may be impractical because rail links will also be reduced on strike days. Logistics operators at the neighbouring cargo zone anticipate delays for time-sensitive life-science shipments that typically transit via BSCA’s dedicated cool-chain facility.
The closure will ripple through Belgium’s wider transport ecosystem. Brussels Airport, 60 km north, has already cancelled all departing flights the same day, raising the likelihood of passenger overflow once services resume. Road access to Charleroi is expected to be hampered by picket lines, and rental-car firms have issued “no-show” fee waivers.
For employers with expatriate staff flying in for end-of-year meetings, the advice is clear: avoid itineraries touching Belgium between 24 and 27 November, build in extra travel days, and ensure travel insurance covers strike-related disruption. Companies should also prepare immigration-compliance extensions if residence-permit holders face overstays because of cancelled flights.
