Airport strikes causes cancellations at South Charleroi Airport, Brussels
Credit:X:@fl360aero
As many as 16,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellations at Brussels South Charleroi Airport due to more strike action.
Chaos has been the order of the day at Brussels South Charleroi Airport following strike action which has left 16,000 passengers in limbo. Hundreds of British passengers were left without a flight back to the UK as the major European Airport was compelled to cancel all departures due to the ongoing industrial strikes called by airport security staff. Ryanair, one of the most important Airlines operating at South Charleroi and affected by the cancellations, has vowed to refund and reroute passengers inconvenienced by the problem. This includes the following flights:
- FR5328 12:30pm to Manchester
- FR7323 2:35pm to Edinburgh
- FR3223 6:25pm to Manchester
- FR3239 8:55pm to Manchester.
Ryanair flights cancelled from Brussels South Charleroi to Edinburgh and Manchester
On their website, Ryanair issued the statement: “Due to another security staff strike at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) Airport, we have been forced to cancel a number of flights departing this airport on Tues 22 Oct.Flights arriving in Brussels South Charleroi are unaffected by the strike and will operate as scheduled. Passengers affected by these cancellations have been notified of their options of reroute or refund via email.” Ryanair also issued an apology for passengers, many of whom were due to return home via Manchester or Edinburgh during the course of this afternoon and hopes that normal services will be resumed from tomorrow, October 23.
For the moment, all flights arriving at South Charleroi airport from Manchester and Edinburgh will land as scheduled and other airlines including Wizz Air and Pegasus are unlikely to be affected. However, it is recommended that all passengers flying in or out of the airport check with their airline for any delays or cancellations.
Ryanair hopes to resume normal operations tomorrow, October 23
In response to the disruption, the airport has also issued a statement. It promised to do its “utmost to restart operations normally and safely from Wednesday.” On its website, it posted: “Due to an action of the security sector on Tuesday 22 October 2024 and the lack of staff to ensure security operations, all departing flights from Brussels-Charleroi on Tuesday 22 October 2024 have been cancelled.The safety of passengers and staff cannot be guaranteed. Passengers due to depart on that day will be contacted within the next few hours by their airline to book a new flight or get a refund.” It confirmed: “All arrivals at Charleroi airport will be maintained. Passengers are invited to contact their airline to confirm their flight.”
Third time for strike action at South Charleroi Airport in less than two months
Sadly, this is not the first time that strike action has been called, making this the third time in less than two months for the second busiest airport in Belgium – with prior strikes being called on September 12 and October 1.
Strikes across Europe continue to disrupt public services, creating headaches for both authorities and passengers. It is hoped that legal action from leadership can swiftly address key grievances and improve working conditions. The ongoing disruptions are not only straining the reputation of public transport, particularly trains and air travel, but also causing chaos for non-striking staff and travelers caught in the turmoil.
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