A labor strike by part of the ground handling staff from Alyzia caused approximately 140 flight cancellations at Brussels Airport on Friday, 9 October 2026. This strike coincides with a national manifestation taking place in Belgium on the same day.
Airlines and Routes Affected by Alyzia Strike
The strike primarily impacted Brussels Airlines, which had to cancel flights to London Heathrow scheduled at 4:55 p.m., flights to Manchester at 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., and departures from Manchester at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Brussels Airlines also cancelled its 8 p.m. flight from Heathrow. Additional affected flights included Brussels Airlines routes to and from Paris, Budapest, Madrid,
and Chicago.
British Airways flights to and from Brussels Airport, including flights to Edinburgh, were not affected. Budget carriers Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air also operated normally during the strike, as these airlines use a different ground handling provider at Brussels Airport.
Alyzia manages baggage handling, ramp operations, aircraft de-icing, cleaning, and cargo transport for about 20 airlines at Brussels Airport. The strike involved part of Alyzia’s staff and led to significant cancellations for airlines relying on its services.
Official Responses and Strike Context
Brussels Airport released a statement acknowledging the strike and its impact, saying approximately half of the flights serviced by Alyzia were
expected to operate normally but regretting the cancellations. The airport attributed the disruption to union action by Alyzia staff.
Brussels Airlines stated that its own workers were not involved in the strike but lamented the disruption being the third such industrial action affecting their schedule this year. The airline said the strike was causing major disruption for passengers and financial impact on its operations. Brussels Airlines commented, “We regret that this is already the third time this year that our flight schedule has been seriously disrupted by industrial action taken by external parties.”
Flight cancellations due to this strike are
classified as “extraordinary circumstances,” which means passengers are not eligible for compensation under EU regulations.
Passenger Rights and Additional Strike Details
Passengers booked on flights affected by the Alyzia strike were to be contacted directly by their airlines regarding flight status, rebooking options, and refunds. Although compensation for cancellations in this context is not owed, airlines must provide food, drink, and accommodation when necessary.
Separately, a public services strike scheduled for Monday in Belgium is expected to disrupt public transport to and from Brussels Airport but will not affect air traffic operations.
