Belgium strike leads to cancellation of 42 flights

A strike by air traffic controllers responsible for managing air traffic at Brussels South Charleroi Airport in Belgium has caused major disruptions to air transport. A total of 42 flights were removed from the schedule because of the industrial action.

The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the airport’s press service issued an official statement on the matter.

According to the statement, all delayed and canceled flights belonged to Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, the airport’s main airline. Under the restrictions, 18 flights — nine departures and nine arrivals — were not operated during the first half of the day, while 24 flights — 12 departures and 12 arrivals — were canceled in the evening.

The action by employees of Skeyes, Belgium’s national air navigation service provider, is expected to continue every night from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. until Oct. 10. The strike is expected to affect more than 800 flights in total and disrupt the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Charleroi Airport is one of Belgium’s major airports and serves as a key base for low-cost airlines, particularly Ryanair. Air traffic control strikes can affect both departures and arrivals by limiting the number of flights that can be safely handled during the action.