Brussels Airport expects half of flights to be cancelled on May 12, warns travellers of disruption

Brussels Airport expects around half of its departing flights to be cancelled on 12 May, as Belgium prepares for a national demonstration organised by trade unions against federal government policies. The airport said it is working with stakeholders to maintain as many operations as possible, while warning of major disruption linked to staff participation in the strike.

According to a report by The Brussels Times, the planned action is expected to affect air traffic significantly because security and ground handling staff are among those taking part in the strike. The airport has also asked airlines to reduce the number of departing passenger flights on that day to maintain safety and manage passenger flow.

Airlines told to reduce departures

Brussels Airport said it is coordinating with relevant partners to limit operational disruption, but it still expects a major impact on departures. However, it has indicated that arriving flights may face limited disruption compared to outbound services.


The airport linked the expected disruption to repeated union-led actions in recent months, noting that this would be the ninth time since the start of 2025 that air traffic at Brussels Airport has been affected by similar protests not directly aimed at the airport.

Repeated strike impact on aviation

The report highlights that ongoing trade union actions continue to affect Belgium’s aviation sector. Staff participation from critical airport services such as security and ground handling remains a key factor behind repeated cancellations and operational pressure at Brussels Airport.

The Brussels Airport administration said it is continuing coordination efforts to reduce the impact on passengers and maintain essential operations where possible, ahead of the 12 May demonstration.