Charleroi, Belgium, 21 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Charleroi Airport strike is causing another day of disruption at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, with 34 flights expected to be cancelled and 21 others rescheduled on Monday as air traffic controllers continue nightly industrial action. Airport officials announced the figures on Sunday, while live flight information has shown cancellations affecting multiple Ryanair services.
Charleroi Airport faces 34 flight cancellations
Air traffic controllers working for Belgian air navigation provider Skeyes began industrial action on 16 September following unsuccessful negotiations over night-work compensation.
Around 160 flights had already been cancelled since the dispute began, according to figures reported on Sunday. The action is taking place every night between 22:00 and 08:00 and could continue until 10 October unless the two sides reach an agreement.
The airport’s live flight information has listed cancelled Ryanair departures including services to Valencia, Naples, Lanzarote, Almeria, Pescara, Bologna, Bucharest, Girona, Wroclaw and Marrakech. Other flights continued operating after the overnight stoppage.
Night strike disrupts daytime flight schedules
Although the stoppages occur overnight, disruption can continue during the day because aircraft are unable to complete scheduled rotations.
The Charleroi Airport strike was called by the SLFP/VSOA and CSC unions after negotiations with Skeyes failed. The dispute concerns night-shift payments for controllers based at Charleroi.
Brussels South Charleroi Airport has stressed that it is not directly involved in the employment dispute but is experiencing significant operational consequences.
In an official statement, the airport said:
“The consequences of this situation go far beyond the parties to the conflict.”
BSCA said the effects extend to passengers, airport staff, airlines and businesses operating at the site, and called for constructive negotiations to resume without delay.
Skeyes proposes new payments to controllers
Skeyes presented a new offer on Sunday in an effort to resolve the dispute.
Management proposed an additional structural payment of €10,000 gross annually for each air traffic controller from 1 October 2028, linked to the planned introduction of a Digital Tower. It also proposed four bonuses connected with milestones in the project’s implementation, worth a combined €10,000 gross per controller over 18 months.
Skeyes said:
“The proposal is linked to the future implementation of the Digital Tower.”
Under the project, air traffic control for Charleroi is eventually intended to be managed from an integrated control centre in Namur.
Passengers advised to monitor flight information
The airport has asked travellers to monitor its digital channels, terminal information and direct communications from airlines because individual flight schedules can change as the industrial action continues.
The cancellations underline the wider impact of the Charleroi Airport strike on passengers and airline operations, particularly where aircraft rotations overlap with the nightly shutdown.
Strike could continue until 10 October
The next development will depend on whether unions and Skeyes return to negotiations following management’s latest proposal.
Unless an agreement is reached or the action is suspended, the nightly stoppages are scheduled to continue until 10 October. That means further cancellations and timetable changes remain possible, with the precise impact determined by each day’s airline schedules.
