Strike at Brussels Airport on March 31: flights delayed and cancelled

Brussels Airport strike: what happened?

On Monday, 31 March, a national industrial strike against the budget cuts of the new Belgian government will be taking place. The strike will mainly involve workers closely related to airport operations, such as baggage handlers. As a result, all 244 flights scheduled to depart from Brussels Airport have been cancelled, and some arriving flights to Brussels Airport could be cancelled as well. Brussels Airlines informed the passengers who would be departing on 31 March, that they could rebook or cancel the flights for free, resulting in 60% of them already doing so.

Brussels Airport strike: Can I claim compensation?

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to claim compensation for this specific disruption. Passengers are not entitled to compensation if a disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances, which is when flights are cancelled or delayed due to strikes unrelated to the airline — such as air traffic controllers or ground crew workers. As the national strike at Brussels Airport mainly involves workers not associated with the airlines, this is indeed considered an extraordinary circumstance, and passengers are likely not eligible for compensation.

When am I eligible for flight compensation?

If your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours or cancelled fewer than 14 days before the departure date, and the delay or cancellation does not fall under extraordinary circumstances, you are likely to be eligible for flight compensation! 

Check your eligibility for compensation using our free Claim Calculator! Our experts will examine your claim and check who is at fault. If the analysis shows that your disruption happened due to extraordinary circumstances, we will close your file free of charge. We only charge fees once we manage to win you your compensation from the airline as we work on a “no win, no fee” basis!