Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) moved quickly on the morning of 7 October to reassure passengers after trade-union federations confirmed large-scale national demonstrations for Friday 9 October and a public-services strike for Monday 12 October. In a notice posted on its website, the Walloon airport stresses that “all scheduled departing and arriving flights will operate as planned.” Operational continuity has been secured through contingency staffing plans agreed earlier this year with ground-handling companies and air-traffic–control provider Skeyes. BSCA’s crisis-management team will operate a 24-hour command room throughout the two protest days to monitor passenger flows and aircraft turn-rounds. While flight operations are safeguarded, the airport cautions travellers to expect serious disruption on road and public-transport links. The local TEC shuttle between Charleroi-Central station and the terminal "may be severely disrupted", and unions representing bus drivers have already filed pre-strike notices. Ride-hailing platforms have been asked to designate additional pick-up zones, and the airport is extending free drop-off parking to 30 minutes to smooth kerb-side congestion. For corporate travel managers the main risk is transfer time: BSCA recommends allowing “extra time to reach the airport,” a message multinationals with supply-chain staff in the Charleroi technology park have circulated internally. Employers with posted workers transiting through the airport are urged to pre-book taxi vouchers or overnight hotel rooms. Although Belgian airports are no strangers to industrial action, the rapid clarification helps companies avoid costly re-ticketing and demonstrates how secondary hubs can keep operating during nationwide stoppages. Travel-risk consultants nevertheless advise monitoring live updates as local feeder services could still create bottlenecks even if runways remain open.
Source: Brussels South Charleroi Airport
