Charleroi Airport Flights Disrupted by Ongoing Skeyes Strike

Source-checked update: This article brings together information checked against primary sources and independent reporting available at publication time. Full source links are listed at the end of the article.

An ongoing strike by Skeyes air-traffic controllers is disrupting operations at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, with flights cancelled and others rescheduled. The disruption was still active on September 23, 2026, and travelers using the airport should check their flight status directly before setting out.

What Happened

The industrial action began on September 16 and has affected airport operations and passengers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. The dispute involves Skeyes air-traffic controllers and is linked to a disagreement over night-shift bonuses. The airport has said that it is not a party to the labor dispute, but its operations have been directly affected.

During the initial disruption period from September 16 to September 17, the airport reported at least 44 cancellations affecting more than 7,000 passengers. Further cancellations and schedule changes have continued as the strike remains active.

For Monday, September 21, the airport initially expected approximately 34 cancellations and 21 flights to be rescheduled if the industrial action continued. A later airport update confirmed that 16 scheduled afternoon and evening departures, along with 16 corresponding arrivals, had been cancelled that day.

The airport also reported additional cancellations for September 22 and September 23. Nightly disruption has been reported through October 10, although the exact effect on individual flights may vary.

What This Means for Travelers

The disruption does not mean that every flight at Charleroi will be cancelled. However, the confirmed cancellations and rescheduled services show that passengers may face significant changes to their plans, particularly for flights operating during affected periods.

Travelers may receive a cancellation, a revised departure time or another schedule change. Arrival flights can also be affected, meaning that a problem on the outbound journey may have consequences for passengers meeting someone at the airport, collecting a rental vehicle or continuing by ground transport.

The reported figures also indicate that the situation can change as the airport receives updated information about the strike. The initial estimate for September 21 was higher than the number of afternoon and evening cancellations later confirmed by the airport. Travelers should therefore treat general cancellation figures as an indication of the scale of the disruption, not as a prediction for any particular flight.

Passengers connecting through Charleroi or relying on a tightly timed onward journey should take particular care. A rescheduled flight may affect accommodation, ground transportation and other arrangements, even where the flight is not fully cancelled.

What Travelers Should Do Now

Check the status of the specific flight directly with the airline and Brussels South Charleroi Airport before leaving for the airport. Because the operational situation is changing, checking only once may not be enough for passengers traveling during an affected period.

If the flight has been cancelled or rescheduled, follow the airline’s instructions and contact the carrier for information about the available options. Travelers should also confirm any revised departure time rather than relying on the original itinerary.

Allow extra flexibility around the journey where possible. A change to the flight may affect airport arrival plans, onward transport or other reservations, so review the full itinerary before traveling. Passengers with important connections or time-sensitive plans may wish to contact the relevant transport operators and travel providers directly.

Travelers who have not yet reached the airport should avoid assuming that a scheduled service will operate normally. Confirming the latest information before departure can help prevent an unnecessary journey to the terminal, while passengers whose flights are operating should still follow the airline’s latest instructions.

Keep monitoring official updates while the strike continues. The airport has confirmed that further cancellations affected September 22 and September 23, and reported nightly disruption through October 10. Those dates do not establish the status of every individual service, so the airline’s flight-specific information remains the most useful check.

What Is Confirmed

• Skeyes air-traffic controllers are taking industrial action at a time when Brussels South Charleroi Airport operations are being affected.
• The strike began on September 16, 2026, and disruption remained active as of September 23.
• At least 44 cancellations affected more than 7,000 passengers during the initial September 16–17 disruption period.
• For September 21, the airport initially expected 34 cancellations and 21 rescheduled flights.
• A later airport update confirmed 32 cancellations for the afternoon and evening of September 21: 16 departures and 16 corresponding arrivals.
• Further cancellations were reported for September 22 and September 23, with nightly disruption reported through October 10.

Sources

Primary sources

• Social action at Skeyes: Update
• Action sociale chez Skeyes: BSCA appelle à une reprise urgente de la concertation
• Préavis de grève des contrôleurs aériens

Independent reporting

• Charleroi airport cancels 34 flights on Monday due to strike
• BSCA : Skeyes fait des propositions et demande l’arrêt de la grève

Editorial note

This Travel News article was prepared by the VibrantGateways Team using publicly available information and primary sources where available. AI-assisted tools may be used during research and drafting, with publication subject to our editorial verification process.

Links identified as “Optional source” are provided for additional context only. They have not been independently verified by the VibrantGateways editorial team, and VibrantGateways is not responsible for their accuracy, completeness, availability, or subsequent changes.

Travel information can change quickly. Schedules, routes, prices, entry requirements, availability and other time-sensitive details should be confirmed with the relevant official provider or authority before making travel decisions.

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