Brussels Airport confirmed on 25 November that it had pre-emptively cancelled 110 of Wednesday’s 203 scheduled arrivals due to a nationwide strike by ground-handling and security staff protesting austerity measures. Departures had already been axed earlier in the week. While Austrian Airlines does not operate direct Vienna–Brussels flights, Austrian business travellers frequently connect via Star Alliance partner Lufthansa and low-cost carrier Ryanair, both of which use Brussels (BRU) and Charleroi (CRL) as hubs.
Corporate travel managers in Austria report that around 600 employees were due to fly into BRU on 26–27 November for EU committee meetings and corporate board sessions. Most are being re-routed through Frankfurt, Zürich or Amsterdam, adding 2-3 hours to door-to-door journeys. Passengers already ticketed on cancelled flights retain EU261 compensation rights because strikes by airport staff, unlike airline walkouts, are classed as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ only when unforeseeable—legal opinion is divided, so companies should file claims to preserve rights.
![Belgian General Strike Grounds 110 Inbound Flights—Austrian Travellers Advised to Re-Route via Frankfurt or Zürich]()
Practical guidance: Travellers with Schengen passports can consider rail options from Cologne or Paris. Those holding single-entry C-visas must ensure their permit allows multiple entries if they re-enter Schengen via a different airport. Austrian nationals may continue to transit Germany air-side without passport control but must clear immigration in Switzerland before re-checking baggage.
The strike highlights continuing labour unrest across European transport nodes as inflationary pressures hit wage negotiations. Mobility teams should review contingency plans for the pre-Christmas period, particularly for key EU capitals.
Corporate travel managers in Austria report that around 600 employees were due to fly into BRU on 26–27 November for EU committee meetings and corporate board sessions. Most are being re-routed through Frankfurt, Zürich or Amsterdam, adding 2-3 hours to door-to-door journeys. Passengers already ticketed on cancelled flights retain EU261 compensation rights because strikes by airport staff, unlike airline walkouts, are classed as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ only when unforeseeable—legal opinion is divided, so companies should file claims to preserve rights.
Practical guidance: Travellers with Schengen passports can consider rail options from Cologne or Paris. Those holding single-entry C-visas must ensure their permit allows multiple entries if they re-enter Schengen via a different airport. Austrian nationals may continue to transit Germany air-side without passport control but must clear immigration in Switzerland before re-checking baggage.
The strike highlights continuing labour unrest across European transport nodes as inflationary pressures hit wage negotiations. Mobility teams should review contingency plans for the pre-Christmas period, particularly for key EU capitals.
