Belgium’s largest airport is bracing for major disruption this Friday, 9 October, as ground-handling firm Alyzia joins a nationwide protest organised by the FGTB and CSC trade-union federations. According to the German-language daily GrenzEcho, Alyzia will be unable to staff around half of its scheduled shifts, forcing airlines that rely on the company to scrap approximately 140 flights. Twenty-one carriers are affected, with flag-carrier Brussels Airlines hardest hit: the airline has pre-emptively removed about 40 percent of its departures and arrivals from Friday’s timetable. The walk-out comes at a delicate moment for Belgium’s aviation sector, which is still rebuilding capacity lost during the pandemic while coping with tight labour markets and cost inflation. Alyzia’s action highlights the vulnerability of hub operations that depend on a single handler for check-in, baggage and ramp services. Travellers booked on Brussels Airport flights handled by rival firm Aviapartner (including most TUI fly and Ryanair services) should be unaffected, but the airport has warned that knock-on congestion is possible. Airlines are notifying passengers directly and offering re-routing or refunds. Corporate travel managers have been advised to review itineraries for assignees scheduled to transit Zaventem on 9 October and consider alternatives such as Eurostar or flights via neighbouring hubs in Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt. Employers should also remember that Belgian rail operator SNCB is expecting heavy passenger volumes because many travellers will shift to trains. For mobility teams, the strike underscores the need for real-time monitoring of industrial action across multiple service providers. The dispute is unrelated to airport management and does not involve air-traffic-control provider Skeyes, so over-flight traffic and night-stops should remain normal. Nevertheless, travellers should allow extra time for security and immigration formalities, as remaining Alyzia staff will be stretched. Looking ahead, union leaders have threatened further walk-outs if wage-indexation talks with the federal government stall. Multinationals with Belgian operations are therefore revisiting contingency plans—including flexible start dates for inbound assignees and broader use of remote onboarding—to mitigate future travel disruption.
Source: GrenzEcho
