Charleroi Airport joins Brussels in cancelling 12 March flights as national strike snowballs

Belgium’s second-largest passenger hub, Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), announced on 5 March that **all flights on 12 March will be grounded** because it cannot guarantee safe operations during the nationwide strike targeting public-spending cuts. The move follows Brussels Airport’s earlier decision to halt all departures the same day, signalling a country-wide aviation standstill. Charleroi’s management said airlines will contact passengers by 10 March to re-book or refund tickets. Low-cost carriers Ryanair, Wizz Air and TUI fly, which together account for 90 % of CRL traffic, face significant schedule disruption at the start of the spring-break travel window. The dual shutdown means Belgium will have no commercial flights on 12 March, forcing businesses to route travellers via Amsterdam, Paris or Cologne and adding several hours to door-to-door journeys. Cargo operators using Liège Airport fear spill-over capacity constraints as passenger belly-hold space disappears. The strike also threatens overland mobility: rail unions have called for 24-hour action, and Brussels public-transport operator STIB expects “severe to very severe” service reductions. Employers should prepare for widespread absenteeism and consider remote-working provisions. Government mediators are scheduled to meet unions on 9 March, but insiders say a deal before 12 March is “highly unlikely”, making contingency planning essential.