Brussels Airport has canceled hundreds of flights tomorrow due to a national trade union strike. Over half of all flights have been scrapped and more may be canceled in the next 24 hours. Let's unpack this story below.

Brussels Airport cancels over 50% of flights

In preparation for the national trade union walkout taking place on Friday (December 16th), Brussels Airport (BRU) has called on airlines to cancel flights from the airport to avoid major disruption. So far, the airport has chopped over 200 out of a planned 400 flights tomorrow and may scrap more flights as it faces severe understaffing.

A Brussels Airport spokeswoman told Brussels Times,

"At present, more than 50% of planned flights have been canceled. More flights may be added."

Brussels Airlines has been particularly affected, scrapping over two-thirds of its schedule tomorrow. While most of the airline's medium-haul network has been affected, it plans to operate lucrative long-haul flights as normal. On the contrary, nearby Brussels South Charleroi Airport will escape any impact from the nationwide strikes, while Antwerp Airport and Ostend-Bruges International Airport are also operating a regular schedule.

A similar scenario occurred on November 9th during the last national walkout - on that occasion, Brussels Airport had to cancel over 40% of flights. Trade unions across the transport industry, including ABVV, ACV and ACLBV, are calling for greater purchasing rights for members in the face of rising living costs.

Staff will only be at 30%

Over two-thirds of staff are likely to be absent on Friday, with Brussels Airport asking airlines to cut their operations by a similar margin. Affected passengers will be contacted by their airline if their flight is canceled or rescheduled.

A spokesperson confirmed,

"Based on data on the number of people willing to work, we have asked the airlines to reduce their capacity by 70% that day."

The majority of staff walking out tomorrow are ground handlers and security, so expect slow progress at security lanes. The airport advises travelers who are still planning to fly on Friday to travel with hand baggage only if possible to avoid delays, while disruption to public transport networks should also be expected.

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Spanish strike called off

Spain's second-largest trade union, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), has called off its planned strike on key festive dates after reaching an agreement with airport operator Aena. Up to 10,000 Spanish airport workers had planned to strike on six critical days (Dec 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st, and Jan 6th, 8th).

Aena, which manages 45 airports in Spain including Madrid Airport and Barcelona Airport, agreed to reinstate a productivity bonus scrapped during the pandemic, with 80% to be paid in January and the remainder in March. However, other strikes in Spain, including ground and cabin crew from Ryanair and Vueling, are still set to go ahead.

Have your travel plans been affected by strikes? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Brussels Times