Flights to and from Belgium were cancelled at major airports across the country on Tuesday after an unexpected strike by air traffic controllers halted air travel and stranded thousands of passengers.
Brussels Airport said no air traffic was possible in Belgium between 2 pm and 9 pm local time on June 2, or 5 pm to midnight PKT. The airport told passengers not to come to the terminal for flights affected by the incident.
The disruption hit Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Antwerp Airport, Liege Airport and Ostend-Bruges Airport, according to Brussels. Charleroi Airport suspended operations from 2:15 pm, with departing and arriving flights cancelled.
Ryanair said the “illegal wildcat strike” forced it to cancel more than 100 flights and affected about 20,000 passengers. British Airways flights between London Heathrow and Brussels also faced disruption, along with services from Brussels Airlines and Wizz Air.
The strike followed a dispute between management and unions over a digital control tower project in Namur. Controllers raised safety concerns about the new system.
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Airlines offered refunds or rebooking options to affected passengers. Airport officials advised travellers with flights after 9 pm local time to check their airline websites for updated schedules.
