Belgium’s trade-union front has called a 24-hour general strike for Monday, 12 May, and aviation is expected to bear the brunt of the disruption. The Belgian air-traffic controllers’ union has already filed the mandatory pre-notice, meaning Brussels, Charleroi, Antwerp and Liège airports will operate a so-called ‘minimum service’ only. Airlines have been told to prepare for widespread slot cancellations and to notify passengers no later than 48 hours before departure. For business travellers the timing could hardly be worse. Mid-May marks the start of the summer conference season in Brussels and a busy week for the EU Council. Corporate travel managers are scrambling to re-route senior executives via Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam-Schiphol or the Eurostar rail link.
![Belgium braces for 12 May national strike that will ground most flights]()
In the midst of these last-minute reroutes, VisaHQ can smooth at least one part of the journey: its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets travellers and corporate mobility teams double-check visa or transit-permit requirements for alternative gateways, obtain documentation online and arrange expedited courier delivery, keeping paperwork in sync with constantly shifting itineraries.
Hotels around Lille and Maastricht are already reporting a surge in last-minute bookings as companies build in overland contingencies. Belgian authorities have asked airports to keep security lanes fully staffed for the reduced schedule, but unions representing ground handlers and security personnel are also joining the walk-out. Travellers should therefore anticipate longer queues even for the limited number of services that do operate. The Federal Police has warned that manual passport stamping may be re-introduced temporarily if automated eGates are understaffed, adding to processing times. Practical advice for employers is clear: avoid critical meetings in Belgium on 12 May, allow remote participation where possible and instruct travellers already in-country to complete outward journeys no later than Sunday evening. Those who cannot postpone trips should book fully flexible tickets, monitor airline alerts and consider rail alternatives such as Thalys or Eurostar. Multinationals with mobility teams in Brussels are already activating traveller-tracking protocols to ensure duty-of-care compliance during the strike window.
In the midst of these last-minute reroutes, VisaHQ can smooth at least one part of the journey: its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets travellers and corporate mobility teams double-check visa or transit-permit requirements for alternative gateways, obtain documentation online and arrange expedited courier delivery, keeping paperwork in sync with constantly shifting itineraries.
Hotels around Lille and Maastricht are already reporting a surge in last-minute bookings as companies build in overland contingencies. Belgian authorities have asked airports to keep security lanes fully staffed for the reduced schedule, but unions representing ground handlers and security personnel are also joining the walk-out. Travellers should therefore anticipate longer queues even for the limited number of services that do operate. The Federal Police has warned that manual passport stamping may be re-introduced temporarily if automated eGates are understaffed, adding to processing times. Practical advice for employers is clear: avoid critical meetings in Belgium on 12 May, allow remote participation where possible and instruct travellers already in-country to complete outward journeys no later than Sunday evening. Those who cannot postpone trips should book fully flexible tickets, monitor airline alerts and consider rail alternatives such as Thalys or Eurostar. Multinationals with mobility teams in Brussels are already activating traveller-tracking protocols to ensure duty-of-care compliance during the strike window.
