Strike in Brussels: about 140 flights are expected to be cancelled on Friday
Belgian National protests on Friday, October 9, 2026, could disrupt the travel of thousands of passengers through Brussels Airport (Zaventem). According to current estimates, about 140 incoming and outgoing flights are expected to be cancelled, primarily due to reduced availability of ground staff for aircraft operations.
Part of the employees of Alyzia, which provides services to 21 airlines, are participating in the protests. The airport management estimates that it will be possible to operate approximately half of the flights operated by this company.
Brussels Airlines among the most affected carriers
The greatest consequences are expected in Brussels Airlines, which plans to cancel approximately 40 percent of its flights scheduled for Friday.
The company announced that it will directly contact passengers whose flights have been cancelled and offer them a change of reservation or a refund. The travel status can be checked through the „My Booking” option on the official website of the carrier.
Brussels Airlines warns that this is already the third serious disruption to its flight schedule this year caused by the union activities of external service providers.
Ryanair and TUI fly so far without the expected cancellations
The disruptions will not affect all airlines equally. Flights operated by another ground service provider, Aviapartner, should still run according to plan for now.
This also includes carriers such as Ryanair and TUI fly, for which no major changes have been announced at the moment due to this union action.
Good news also comes from Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Its management has confirmed that it plans to operate all regular incoming and outgoing flights for October 9 and 12. However, it advises passengers to arrive earlier due to possible problems with road and public transport.
Belgian trade union activities will continue on Monday, October 12. However, Brussels Airport does not expect their direct impact on flights for now. There may be disruptions in public transport, which further complicates access to the airport.
