• 

  Brussels Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SN/BEL

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Brussels Airport

  Year Founded:

  2006

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  Airline Group:

  Lufthansa Group

  CEO:

  Dorothea von Boxberg

  Country:

  Belgium

  Region:

  Europe

  Loyalty Program:

  Miles & More

Europe's spate of industrial action continued this week with a three-day strike by crew and pilots at Brussels Airlines. The strike, which ran from Thursday, June 23 to Saturday, June 25, forced the cancellation of around 315 flights, disrupting the travel plans of about 40,0000 passengers.

Brussels Airlines is a member of the Lufthansa Group and part of the Lufthansa Network Airlines segment. The other airlines in this segment are SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa German Airlines. It is the home carrier of Belgium and connects the European capital from Brussels Airport (BRU) with more than 85 destinations. The company employs 3,100 people, and according to ch-aviation.com, it operates a fleet of 40 Airbus aircraft comprising 15 A319-100s, 16 A320-200s and nine A330-300s.

It seems more strike action is on the cards

On Friday, June 17, the airline met the worker's unions after pilots and cabin crew had issued separate indefinite strike notices. The workers urged management to reduce the high work pressure and index their 'cafeteria plan, which is a budget for extra benefits. The airline said it could not meet the demands or change the existing collective labor agreements (CLA). Maaike Andries, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines, said:

"As we were loss making in 2020, in 2021 and still as well in Quarter 1, 2022, our financial situation does not allow us to reverse or reopen the current CLAs, which were signed as part of our agreement with the Belgian Government by all our social partners in 2020 to guarantee a future for our company."

Initially, the airline had planned to carry around 700,000 passengers on 533 flights for the three days, including 38 long-haul flights. By Tuesday, June 21, it had canceled 315 flights and was finding solutions for affected passengers, both from airlines within the Lufthansa Group and outside. For example, it rescheduled its Airbus A330-300s to operate multiple flights to Rome Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (FCO) and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE).

Following the strike, the unions representing Brussels Airlines' staff are insisting on direct talks with the airline's CEO Peter Gerber. The Brussels Times reported yesterday that the three unions had welcomed the high level of motivation of the airline's employees and their readiness to denounce their working conditions. The unions added they are now waiting for an initiative from management, at the same time "deploring the fact that the CEO has been absent from talks with the unions."

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More strike action is planned for Europe this summer

Last week was not a good time for travelers in Belgium. A national strike on Monday, which included airport security personnel, resulted in the cancellation of all flights from Brussels Airport. Belgium-based Ryanair cabin crew launched a three-day strike from June 24 to June 26, which led to the cancellation of hundreds of Ryanair flights on the weekend. However, with 60% of the airline's flights operated by crews and planes based outside Belgium, Ryanair says it caused only "minor disruptions." Ryanair staff in France were due to strike over the weekend, and British cabin crews have voted in favor of strike action, likely to be in August. Staff in Romania and the Czech Republic have reportedly approached their unions regarding the current strike activity at Ryanair.

If you have been affected by the Brussels Airlines strike, please let us know how the airline looked after you.

Source: The Brussels Times