Belgium strikes ground 100% of Charleroi flights on May 12

What the strike means for Belgian airports

Belgium’s three main trade unions have called a 24-hour strike for May 12 and airlines are moving to cancel more than half the flights at Brussels Airport and all flights at Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

Brussels Airport expects severe disruption to its roughly 650 scheduled flights, with arrivals facing limited impact under minimum-service rules. Charleroi, a major low-cost hub, said it will ground about 180 flights because it can’t staff operations safely during the walkout.

Who gets hit hardest

Travelers flying through BRU and CRL will see the worst of it, especially passengers on Brussels Airlines, Ryanair, Wizz Air, TUI fly Belgium, United and Emirates. The cancellations affect about 60,000 passengers at Brussels Airport and 35,000 at Charleroi.

Nomads, expats and tourists passing through Belgium should expect rebooking delays, baggage slowdowns and possible manual passport stamping if e-gates are understaffed. Rail and public transport disruptions are also expected, so connections across Brussels may be messy all day.

What to do before May 12

Check airline apps and email now for cancellations, rebookings or refunds. Flexible tickets and strike coverage in travel insurance matter here, since many carriers handle changes by policy rather than a blanket waiver.

Rail alternatives may not save the day, because Eurostar and Thalys services could also be hit. UK officials updated Belgium travel advice on May 7 and Brussels Airport is still telling passengers to verify their flight status before heading out.

Read our full Belgium guide for the complete picture.