Charleroi Airport cuts capacity by 30 per cent on 1 October ​

Charleroi Airport is cutting its capacity by 30 per cent on 1 October, due to the unions' protests on that day against poor working conditions in the security, cleaning and catering sectors. Earlier on Friday evening, it was announced that there will be no departing passenger flights at Brussels Airport that day.

A lot of flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 October, Brussels South Charleroi Airport announced. About a hundred flights are scheduled at Charleroi Airport that day. An estimated 15,000 passengers will be affected.

The airport stressed that operations will be disrupted throughout the day. Passengers whose flight is cancelled will be informed by their airline. Those who do still have a flight that day are advised to be at the airport three hours in advance and only travel with hand luggage. Baggage handling cannot be assured.

Earlier on Friday evening, it was announced that there will be no departing passenger flights at Brussels Airport on 1 October. An estimated 50,000 passengers will be affected there.

With a demonstration on 1 October in the European quarter in Brussels, the European trade union federations UNI Europa and Effat, together with Belgian unions, are demanding respect, decent working conditions and fair wages for catering staff, cleaners and security guards. They want public tenders to be adjusted so that social criteria would also apply and the extent of subcontracting would be limited.

^{Logo of Brussels South Charleroi Airport at a closed check-in at the departure hall of the airport© BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY}