Major airport in Europe cancels dozens of flights due to strikes

Strike action is expected to continue for weeks

At Brussels South Charleroi Airport, which is the second largest in the country’s capital, air traffic controllers have announced strikes that will continue every night.

Strikes will last between 10pm and 8am until Saturday 10 October, it has been revealed.

Foreign Office has warned British travellers

According to the UK Foreign Office, any travellers departing or arriving from Charleroi airport should monitor local news and check with their airline or travel operator regarding potential delays and closures.

The Foreign Office also warned of a large-scale demonstration expected to take place in central Brussels on Friday, 9 October.

However, it is still unclear whether this will also affect public transport.

A Ryanair plane in Brussels South Charleroi Airport on February 10, 2026. Credit: Getty Images

The airport reported on Thursday (17 September) that in total, 66 flights due to arrive and leave Charleroi that day and the next had been cancelled.

Among the airlines that fly out of Charleroi are Ryanair, Wizz Air, Spanish low-cost airline Volotea, Turkish-based Pegasus Airlines and Air Corsica.

As per data from Flightradar24, 11 consecutive Ryanair flights due to arrive into Brussels were cancelled on Thursday night.

One of these cancelled flights was one from Manchester, as per Flightradar24.

While two scheduled Ryanair flights from Manchester and Newcastle landed without delay, cancellations continued on Friday morning, with Wizz Air and Ryanair flights cancelled.

Meanwhile, more Ryanair flights due to depart the airport on Friday have been cancelled, including one to Manchester.

On the other hand, unaffected by the strikes were flights to and from Brussels airport, the city’s main hub.

Charleroi Airport said in a statement: “We are monitoring the situation very closely and sharing verified general information through our official channels.”

“For information regarding your specific flight, we encourage you to regularly check the communications from your airline.”

“We share our passengers’ frustration and hope that the social conflict at Skeyes will be resolved quickly”, it added.

Further, the airport said that as soon as new information becomes available, it will continue to provide general updates.