Brussels Airlines has allowed pilots and cabin crew who feel psychologically unable to operate Tel Aviv services to use its existing unfit to fly procedure without reprisals, after talks with unions over staffing on the Brussels–Tel Aviv route. The move comes as the airline returns the service to normal crew rostering after an initial volunteer-only phase this summer.
The dispute centres on whether staff can be assigned to the route against their wishes. ACV Puls objected to mandatory Tel Aviv duties and warned of possible strike action limited to those flights, while Brussels Airlines has maintained that the service was safely resumed and can now follow standard roster rules. One Tel Aviv rotation still departed on Thursday, indicating the disagreement had not yet disrupted the route completely.
Brussels Airlines restarted flights to Tel Aviv in recent weeks after suspending the service for a prolonged period during regional conflict. Early operations relied on volunteers and some management personnel with flight duties, before the carrier moved the route back into regular scheduling. The issue now sits at the intersection of crew welfare, labour relations and operational stability within the Lufthansa Group network.