Charleroi Night Strikes Put Flights at Risk Until October
Travellers using Brussels South Charleroi face weeks of possible cancellations after air traffic controllers began nightly strikes on 16 September. The walkouts run from 10pm to 8am and are expected to continue until 10 October as a social dispute at Belgian air navigation provider skeyes continues. Ryanair and Wizz Air services have already been affected, while the UK Foreign Office is warning passengers to check before travelling.
What to Do if Your Charleroi Flight Is Affected
- Check: Confirm your flight with the airline before leaving for the airport.
- Cancelled: Do not travel to Charleroi if your airline has confirmed the cancellation.
- Updates: Follow airline app messages and Brussels South Charleroi Airport alerts.
- Options: Ask the airline about rebooking, rerouting or a refund.
- Receipts: Keep receipts if disruption leaves you paying for meals, transport or an overnight stay.
The disruption is not limited to flights scheduled during the overnight strike window. In an update at 18:20 on 18 September, Charleroi Airport said 70 arrivals and departures scheduled for later that day and Saturday had been cancelled, with the figures still subject to change. Earlier in the strike, 44 flights were cancelled overnight, affecting more than 7,000 passengers. Daytime bookings can therefore also be caught up in the disruption.
This is specifically a Brussels South Charleroi Airport problem, not a closure of Brussels Airport at Zaventem, the Belgian capital’s main hub. That distinction matters because both airports are often sold simply as "Brussels". If a Charleroi flight is cancelled, EU rules still give passengers a choice between reimbursement and rerouting, although fixed compensation may not be due if the airline can show that the cancellation resulted from the external air traffic control strike.
Anyone travelling through Charleroi before 10 October should rely on their airline’s latest flight status rather than the original timetable alone. A service scheduled outside strike hours can still be affected by earlier disruption. If a flight is cancelled, contact the airline before buying replacement travel if you expect the cost to be covered, and check the airport code carefully before considering an alternative Brussels departure.