Belgium’s three main trade-union federations – ACV/CSC, ABVV/FGTB and ACLVB – have called a 24-hour nationwide strike for Tuesday 12 March. In an unusually frank briefing on 20 February, Brussels Airport (BRU) chief executive Arnaud Feist said outbound operations are likely to grind to a complete halt because security screening, ground handling and air-traffic-control staff will all be taking part. Arriving flights may still land, but Feist warned of “significant delays” at immigration, baggage belts and onward rail connections.
The one-day walk-out is part of a broader protest against proposed pension and labour-market reforms. For business-travel managers the timing is awkward: 12 March falls on a Tuesday, a high-yield day for corporate traffic, and comes just as the spring conference season begins in Brussels. Hundreds of flights – including the nightly long-haul banks to North America, Africa and the Middle East – risk cancellation, creating a two-day re-accommodation ripple as displaced passengers are moved to 11 and 13 March services.
For travelers suddenly rerouted through alternative hubs or needing to transit additional Schengen states, last-minute visa questions can arise. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets companies and individuals check entry requirements and arrange expedited Schengen or transit visas online, ensuring compliance even when itineraries change at short notice.
![Brussels Airport urges travellers to rebook as 12 March general strike threatens total shutdown]()
Airlines have already begun issuing change waivers. Carriers such as Air Canada, United and Brussels Airlines allow free date changes within a five-day window, but inventory is disappearing quickly. Travellers who keep their 12 March booking run the risk of switching to routes via Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris, potentially adding hours and Schengen-entry formalities to the journey.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to a refund or rerouting plus meals and hotel accommodation, but cash compensation is unlikely because a general strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance. Mobility and risk-management teams should therefore: 1) move critical meetings off the strike date; 2) capture screenshots of cancellation notices; 3) advise employees transiting BRU to avoid tight connections even if the inbound sector operates.
Beyond passenger disruption, the stoppage could set back Belgium’s ongoing rollout of automated e-gates by forcing the federal police to redeploy officers. Cargo operations – particularly pharmaceutical exports that rely on strict temperature windows – may also face hold-ups. Companies shipping just-in-time supplies should build contingency plans or redirect freight via Liège or Luxembourg.
The one-day walk-out is part of a broader protest against proposed pension and labour-market reforms. For business-travel managers the timing is awkward: 12 March falls on a Tuesday, a high-yield day for corporate traffic, and comes just as the spring conference season begins in Brussels. Hundreds of flights – including the nightly long-haul banks to North America, Africa and the Middle East – risk cancellation, creating a two-day re-accommodation ripple as displaced passengers are moved to 11 and 13 March services.
For travelers suddenly rerouted through alternative hubs or needing to transit additional Schengen states, last-minute visa questions can arise. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets companies and individuals check entry requirements and arrange expedited Schengen or transit visas online, ensuring compliance even when itineraries change at short notice.
Airlines have already begun issuing change waivers. Carriers such as Air Canada, United and Brussels Airlines allow free date changes within a five-day window, but inventory is disappearing quickly. Travellers who keep their 12 March booking run the risk of switching to routes via Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris, potentially adding hours and Schengen-entry formalities to the journey.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to a refund or rerouting plus meals and hotel accommodation, but cash compensation is unlikely because a general strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance. Mobility and risk-management teams should therefore: 1) move critical meetings off the strike date; 2) capture screenshots of cancellation notices; 3) advise employees transiting BRU to avoid tight connections even if the inbound sector operates.
Beyond passenger disruption, the stoppage could set back Belgium’s ongoing rollout of automated e-gates by forcing the federal police to redeploy officers. Cargo operations – particularly pharmaceutical exports that rely on strict temperature windows – may also face hold-ups. Companies shipping just-in-time supplies should build contingency plans or redirect freight via Liège or Luxembourg.
