On Friday, October 9, 2026, approximately 140 flights arriving at and departing from Brussels Airport were cancelled due to a national labor strike involving staff from ground handling company Alyzia.
Airlines affected by the cancellations include Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Air Arabia, and United Airlines. Key Brussels Airlines flights cancelled include departures to London Heathrow at 4:55 pm, Manchester at 10:00 am and 9:30 pm, and arrivals from Manchester at 8:30 am and 1:30 pm, plus Heathrow at 8:00 pm. Other routes disrupted include flights to and from Paris, Budapest, Madrid, and Chicago. British Airways flights to and from Brussels
Airport, including services to and from Edinburgh, remain unaffected. Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air flights operated at the airport are also not impacted due to handling by a different ground services provider.
Passengers facing cancellations are entitled to rebooking or refunds without charge. Airlines must provide food, drink, and accommodation where necessary. Compensation is not payable as strikes are classified as circumstances outside airline control. Airlines working with Alyzia are responsible for informing affected customers.
Brussels Airport confirmed that about half the flights managed by Alyzia are expected to operate normally. The airport expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by
the strike action. Brussels Airlines stated its employees are not involved in the strike and lamented that this marks the third industrial action by external parties disrupting its schedules this year. The airline said the strike is causing significant financial impact and disruption to passenger travel plans. “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,” Brussels Airlines said.
The strike involves Alyzia staff responsible for baggage handling, ramp operations, aircraft de-icing, cleaning, and cargo transport. Alyzia provides ground support to around 20
airlines at Brussels Airport. Additionally, public sector strike action planned for Monday in Belgium will not affect air traffic but may disrupt public transport links to and from Brussels Airport.
