Lufthansa Group on 6 October 2026 issued an irregular operations bulletin to travel agents, confirming proactive cancellations and re-timings on flights between its German hubs and Brussels Airport (BRU) due to a planned ground-staff strike in Belgium on 9 October. The advisory, released via the ‘Lufthansa eXperts Irreg’ portal, affects services from Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg. Although the industrial action is outside Germany, the ripple effects will be felt by German-based business travellers who use Brussels as a gateway to EU institutions or onward connections on Star Alliance partners. Lufthansa’s Schedule Change/Irregularity Policy allows free rebooking within the original fare class or a refund if the alternative itinerary deviates by more than two hours. Travel managers with staff booked on LH1002/1003 (FRA-BRU) and LH2284/2285 (MUC-BRU) are urged to secure seats on earlier departures or consider rail alternatives. Deutsche Bahn’s ICE services achieve Frankfurt–Brussels in just over three hours but are expected to be busy. The bulletin also notes that Brussels Airport will temporarily suspend automated ETIAS self-service kiosks during the strike, meaning non-EU citizens arriving from Germany may face manual processing. Companies should brief travellers to carry printed proof of accommodation and return tickets to expedite entry. Lufthansa says normal operations should resume on 10 October, but further adjustments are possible if the strike is prolonged. The airline recommends monitoring the ‘Current Flights’ section of its app for real-time gate information.
