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Thousands of passengers were left stranded in Belgium on Thursday as Brussels South Charleroi Airport scrapped nearly all departures, cancelling 98 flights and severing low-cost links to holiday hotspots from Edinburgh to Malaga amid a nationwide strike that has brought much of the country’s transport network to a standstill.
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Charleroi Shuts Down Departures Amid National Walkout
Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Belgium’s second-busiest passenger hub, confirmed that no outbound commercial flights would operate on 12 March as trade unions staged a 24-hour general strike over pay, pensions and public spending. Airport management said the shutdown was the only way to guarantee safety and avoid unmanageable queues as security and ground-handling staff joined the walkout.
The move has left thousands of travellers in limbo at the low-cost gateway, which typically handles dozens of early-morning departures across Europe and North Africa. Terminal departure boards on Thursday morning showed row after row of flights marked cancelled, with only a handful of inbound services allowed to land so that aircraft and crews would not be stranded abroad.
The nationwide action is part of an escalating wave of labour unrest in Belgium, targeting what unions describe as eroding living standards and mounting pressure on essential workers. Public transport in Brussels and other cities has also been heavily disrupted, complicating efforts by passengers to reroute via other airports.
Authorities warned in advance that disruption would spill over beyond the 24-hour strike window, as aircraft and crews fall out of position and airlines struggle to reassemble schedules heading into the busy spring travel period.
Low-Cost Giants Cancel Routes Across Europe
Charleroi is a major base for several budget airlines, and the strike has hit their operations hardest. Ryanair, Wizz Air and Buzz pulled almost their entire Thursday schedules at the airport, according to aviation and passenger-rights trackers, scrapping services to both city-break favourites and sun destinations on short notice.
Among the affected routes are flights to Edinburgh, Sofia, Krakow, Alicante and Malaga, popular with weekend city trippers and early-season holidaymakers. Regular links to other secondary airports in Italy, Eastern Europe and the Balkans have also been wiped from the departure board, with carriers warning that knock-on disruptions could persist into Friday as aircraft are repositioned.
Passengers reported receiving late-night or early-morning messages informing them that their flights from Charleroi had been cancelled, often with limited detail on alternative options. Some travellers holding separate tickets for onward connections complained that they were unable to reach hub airports in time, potentially losing entire itineraries.
Industry analysts note that Charleroi’s heavy reliance on low-cost point-to-point traffic, which offers few through-ticket protections, leaves travellers especially exposed during industrial action, with fewer straightforward rebooking options compared with full-service hubs.
Passengers Face Long Queues, Patchy Information
Inside the terminal, scenes were described as tense but relatively orderly on Thursday morning, as many travellers had heeded earlier warnings to avoid the airport unless rebooked. Those who did turn up without confirmation of a cancellation reported long waits at airline desks, with staff struggling to handle a surge of refund and rerouting requests.
Information screens and public announcements repeatedly advised passengers to contact their airline directly before travelling to the airport. However, some travellers said they found it difficult to reach call centres or secure timely responses through online chat and social media channels, particularly for low-cost carriers that rely heavily on automated systems.
Families heading to school-holiday breaks, workers returning from visits home and tourists on tight itineraries all faced difficult decisions. With many alternative flights from Brussels’ main Zaventem airport also cancelled or sold out, some passengers opted for last-minute rail or coach journeys to airports in neighbouring France, the Netherlands and Germany, often at significant extra cost.
Consumer advocates urged affected passengers to keep detailed records of communications, booking receipts and any additional travel costs, noting that airlines remain responsible for refunds and assistance even when cancellations are triggered by strikes outside their direct control.
Wider Impact Across Belgium and Beyond
The shutdown at Charleroi formed part of a broader aviation standstill across Belgium. Brussels Airport in Zaventem also halted almost all departing passenger flights on Thursday after unions representing security, baggage handlers and support staff joined the national strike. The dual closures effectively removed Belgium from Europe’s short-haul network for the day.
European carriers and travel agents warned that the disruption was radiating well beyond Belgian borders. Airlines in Spain, Poland and other countries reported cancellations and delays on routes that normally route aircraft and crews through Charleroi or Brussels, putting additional pressure on already stretched spring schedules.
Tourism bodies in destinations such as Alicante and Malaga said they were bracing for a measurable dip in arrivals this week, particularly from budget-conscious travellers from Belgium and neighbouring countries who rely on low-cost services from Charleroi. Hoteliers and local businesses expressed frustration at the timing, coming just as early-season visitor numbers were starting to climb.
The strike also adds to a turbulent period for European aviation, which has already been rocked this year by walkouts among air traffic controllers and airline staff in Germany and other markets. The cumulative effect has left passengers increasingly wary of booking tightly timed connections or short weekend breaks that might easily be derailed.
What Travellers Can Expect Next
Airlines operating from Charleroi have begun offering free rebooking or full refunds for cancelled flights, with some carriers allowing passengers to shift travel dates over a wider window to avoid residual disruption. Travellers seeking to salvage trips are being advised to consider departures later in the week and to remain flexible on departure times and even airports.
Legal experts in European air passenger rights said that, under EU rules, airlines must either refund or reroute customers when a flight is cancelled, although compensation payments may not apply if the disruption is attributed to extraordinary circumstances such as a nationwide strike. They stressed that carriers also have a duty of care, including meals and accommodation where overnight stays become unavoidable.
Travel advisers recommend that anyone due to fly to or from Belgium in the coming days closely monitor airline apps and airport announcements, as schedules may be adjusted at short notice while operations ramp back up. Those with nonrefundable hotel bookings or onward tickets are being encouraged to contact providers proactively to negotiate credits or date changes.
For now, thousands of would-be holidaymakers and returning residents remain stuck on the ground, their plans upended by a single day of industrial action that has once again underscored how tightly Europe’s travel networks are bound to labour relations on the front lines of aviation.