Skeyes air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport will begin a series of night strikes on Wednesday after talks on night-shift compensation collapsed. The action is set to run each night from 22:00 to 08:00 and could continue until 10 October, creating the risk of significant disruption for flights, passengers and airport-dependent businesses.
The dispute centres on pay for night work. Management has described the demand as a higher night allowance, while the unions involved, including VSOA and CSC, argue that the controllers seek fair treatment compared with colleagues elsewhere. Conciliation efforts failed after several meetings, turning an earlier strike notice filed in July into active industrial action.
Charleroi airport has not confirmed the full operational impact, but it has advised passengers to check flight status with their airlines before travelling. The stoppage comes as Skeyes faces wider operational changes linked to its digital towers programme, which is intended to support future traffic control for Charleroi and Liège.