No departing passenger flights at Brussels Airport on 1 October

There will be no departing passenger flights at Brussels Airport on 1 October, due to the unions' protests on that day against poor working conditions in the security, cleaning and catering sectors. There likely will also be an impact on arriving passenger flights. In total, an estimated 50,000 passengers will be affected.

Unions have planned a demonstration at Brussels’ European quarter on 1 October and a majority of the staff of Brussels Airport’s external security service provider are expected to participate. “To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, the airlines, in consultation with Brussels Airport, have decided not to operate any departing passenger flights on 1 October,” stated Brussels Airport.

Affected passengers will be notified by their airline. Brussels Airport asks everyone not to come to the airport on that day.

Arriving passenger flights can take place, but cancellations are likely there as well. “We advise all passengers who are scheduled to arrive at Brussels Airport on 1 October to check the status of their flight with their airline or on our website,” declared Brussels Airport. For cargo flights, the impact of the strike should normally be limited.

With the demonstration 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.

The protest could also have repercussions elsewhere. The airport operator in Charleroi is holding a meeting this evening to assess the impact.

^{The logo of Brussels Airport next to a flight information board announcing cancelled flights © BELGA PHOTO François WALSCHAERTS / AFP}