About 40 flights to and from Brussels South Charleroi Airport were cancelled on Thursday after overnight strike action by air traffic controllers at Skeyes disrupted operations at Belgium’s low-cost hub. The walkout began at 22:00 on Wednesday and is due to continue nightly until 10 October, with Ryanair bearing the brunt of the immediate schedule cuts.
Morning and evening cancellations have already hit the airport’s flight programme, and further disruption was expected into Friday as the industrial action continued. The dispute centres on night-shift bonuses for Charleroi controllers, who want their pay aligned with colleagues at Liège.
Skeyes and the airport have warned that the stoppages could affect roughly 800 to 832 flights over the full period and disrupt more than 7,000 passengers. The knock-on effect is likely to extend beyond the strike window, as aircraft unable to return overnight can force additional morning cancellations in the following day’s departure bank.