Skeyes air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport will strike every night from 16 September to 10 October, with work stoppages scheduled from 22:00 to 08:00 after talks on night-shift bonuses failed. The action could disrupt about 832 flight movements at Charleroi Airport, including morning departures and overnight rotations, affecting airlines and passengers using Belgium’s second-largest airport.
The dispute centres on night premiums and comes as Charleroi prepares for a prolonged period of reduced controller availability during a busy part of the operating day for aircraft based at the airport. Skeyes estimates 487 morning flights and 345 night flights could be hit across the period, with early departures particularly vulnerable if aircraft cannot return overnight. Brussels South Charleroi Airport has told passengers to check flight status with their airline, as the exact impact on individual rotations remained unclear at the time of reporting.
The labour dispute is also linked to broader changes at Skeyes, including digital control arrangements for Charleroi and Liège. Management has resisted the pay demand, arguing the airport is closed at night while the current allowance already exceeds €1,000 per shift.