Air-traffic bottlenecks that began on 27 December continue to reverberate through Brussels Airport, with passenger-rights data provider AirHelp counting 740 delays and 43 outright cancellations across five major European hubs—Amsterdam Schiphol, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Oslo Gardermoen and Brussels Zaventem. VisaHQ’s 30 December bulletin attributes the chaos not to weather but to ground-handling labour shortages colliding with record-setting Christmas-return volumes: Zaventem alone processed more than 72,000 travellers on 30 December, its busiest winter day on record.
Brussels Airlines, British Airways and KLM were among carriers forced to bus passengers to remote stands after jet-bridges filled up, pushing average departure delays to 54 minutes. Although most flights eventually operated, the spill-over has disrupted crew rotations, meaning rolling delays are expected to persist into 1 January. Under EU 261, travellers delayed more than three hours may claim up to €600, yet AirHelp warns that claim portals were “swamped within hours.”
Amid this uncertainty, travellers scrambling for alternative routings should note that VisaHQ can shoulder at least the paperwork burden. Through its Belgium hub (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the service offers express Schengen visa processing, passport validity checks and live travel-alert feeds, allowing passengers to sort documents and compensation forms while airlines and airports work through the backlog.
![Brussels Airport Feels Holiday Ripple: 740 Flight Delays and 43 Cancellations Across European Hubs]()
For companies moving talent into Belgium for early-January project kick-offs, mobility managers are revising itineraries, extending hotel blocks and pre-authorising ride-share vouchers in case late-night arrivals miss the last train to the city. Some firms are piloting disruption-insurance apps that automatically buy new tickets once a delay threshold is breached—an innovation experts say could become standard as European airports approach pre-pandemic capacity.
Airport authorities concede that staffing levels remain fragile. A planned wage-indexation rise on 1 February is expected to ease attrition, but unions hint at further actions if manpower gaps persist. Business-travel associations are urging the federal government to fast-track security-screening accreditation for temporary workers and to revisit caps on evening flight movements so airports can clear backlogs after irregular operations.
Travellers departing Brussels through the first week of January should arrive at least three hours before take-off, complete digital check-in the night before, and keep boarding passes and delay notifications for any potential compensation claims.
Brussels Airlines, British Airways and KLM were among carriers forced to bus passengers to remote stands after jet-bridges filled up, pushing average departure delays to 54 minutes. Although most flights eventually operated, the spill-over has disrupted crew rotations, meaning rolling delays are expected to persist into 1 January. Under EU 261, travellers delayed more than three hours may claim up to €600, yet AirHelp warns that claim portals were “swamped within hours.”
Amid this uncertainty, travellers scrambling for alternative routings should note that VisaHQ can shoulder at least the paperwork burden. Through its Belgium hub (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the service offers express Schengen visa processing, passport validity checks and live travel-alert feeds, allowing passengers to sort documents and compensation forms while airlines and airports work through the backlog.
For companies moving talent into Belgium for early-January project kick-offs, mobility managers are revising itineraries, extending hotel blocks and pre-authorising ride-share vouchers in case late-night arrivals miss the last train to the city. Some firms are piloting disruption-insurance apps that automatically buy new tickets once a delay threshold is breached—an innovation experts say could become standard as European airports approach pre-pandemic capacity.
Airport authorities concede that staffing levels remain fragile. A planned wage-indexation rise on 1 February is expected to ease attrition, but unions hint at further actions if manpower gaps persist. Business-travel associations are urging the federal government to fast-track security-screening accreditation for temporary workers and to revisit caps on evening flight movements so airports can clear backlogs after irregular operations.
Travellers departing Brussels through the first week of January should arrive at least three hours before take-off, complete digital check-in the night before, and keep boarding passes and delay notifications for any potential compensation claims.
