Belgian airspace will be closed as the ACV/CSC Transcom trade union representing air traffic controllers at Belgocontrol announced a 24-hour strike from 14 December 22:00 onwards.
Air traffic at all Belgian airports (Antwerp Airport, Brussels Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Liège Airport & Ostend-Bruges Airport) will be completely halted. Overflying traffic will not be stopped, as that airspace is controlled by Eurocontrol.
Airlines are preparing for the national strike on 15 December:
– Brussels Airlines has cancelled all its flights and will do its utmost to limit the inconveniences for its passengers and to get them to their destination as smoothly as possible (free cancellations and changes of reservations),
– Jetairfly will divert all its flights to airports in neighbouring countries (Maastricht, Lille for short- and medium-haul, Amsterdam/Schiphol for long-haul). Jetairfly will provide coaches for the transportation to/from these airports.
– Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium will also divert its flights to Lille airport in France.
Strikes 15 December: no flights in Belgium
Belgocontrol, Belgian Air Traffic Control, has confirmed that no flights will land or take off from Belgium due to the national strike. This means that all 600 flights from or to Brussels Airport from Sunday 14 December 10pm till Monday 15 December 10pm have been cancelled.
– Do not come to the airport
– Contact your airline or travel agency
For more information on the national strike, check out this topic on the national strike 15 December.
Operators are advised that NM will be having a teleconference with the surrounding ANSP’s this evening. This conference is to discuss the impact of any strike action and the contingency plans if required. After this conference takes place, NM will arrange a conference on Saturday for AO’s to explain what has been put in place , with a summary and recording on the NOP.
Operators are advised of a planned national Industrial action affecting all Belgium on 15th December:
All Belgian airports might be impacted. Both ATC and Airside operational personnel might participate.
The real impact of the strikes on ATC Operations (all flights to/from Belgian airports, plus all overflights crossing Belgian airspace (below FL245) is unknown at this stage.
More accurate information is expected to be available with 24 hours notice.
The Association of European Airlines (AEA) strongly condemns the strike of Belgian ATC next Monday. Passengers and cargo will be hijacked for a non aviation related social agenda.
If you’re travelling with Iberia to/from Brussels on Sunday December 14 or Monday December 15, please pay close attention:
All flights to/from Brussels on December 15 are cancelled, so please do not go to the BRU airport that day. Note that IB3208 MAD-BRU will depart from Madrid 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time in order to arrive in Brussels at 22:10, after the strike has concluded.
Likewise, IB3208 on Sunday December 14, MAD-BRU, will depart from Madrid 15 before the scheduled time to arrive in Brussels at 21:40, before the strike begins.
On Tuesday December 16 all our Madrid-Brussels-Madrid flights will be on A321 aircraft, with greater capacity than usual, to transport passengers affected by the flight cancellations.
If you purchased your tickets on our website, you will receive notification regarding your new flight. If you have any questions, apart from Iberia.com, Serviberia will gladly assist you, or, if you purchased your tickets through a travel agency, you should check with your agent directly. Our phone numbers are:
• From Spain: 901 111 500
• From Belgium: 0 707 00 050
• From Luxembourg: 0034 954589786
• From other countries: http://bit.ly/X0MgIt
Air traffic controllers will strike for 24h. All flibco shuttles to and from Charleroi airport are CANCELLED on 15/12/14!