Act now if you are flying overnight. If your flight to or from Charleroi is due to depart or arrive between 10pm and 8am on any night up to 10th October, check your flight status directly with your airline before travelling. If your flight is scheduled outside these hours, it should operate as normal, though knock-on delays are possible.
What has happened
Air traffic controllers employed by Skeyes, Belgium’s air navigation service provider, began a series of nightly strikes at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) on Tuesday 16th September 2026. The action covers every night shift from 10pm to 8am and is due to run for 24 consecutive nights, finishing on the morning of Saturday 10th October. Disruption is expected to be heaviest in the first few days of action.
Why it’s happening
The dispute is over night shift allowances for controllers. Unions are asking for the payment to rise to 160% of its current level. Skeyes says the existing allowance already exceeds €1,000 per shift and has turned down the request. A strike notice was first filed at the end of July, and several rounds of mediation have since failed to resolve the disagreement. The row also touches on a separate, longer running plan to move Charleroi’s air traffic control into a new digital centre in Namur, which would eventually manage both Charleroi and Liege from a single site.
Which flights are affected
Charleroi’s runway is officially closed for part of the night, but some aircraft, including Ryanair jets based at the airport, are still cleared to land or depart during those hours as part of standing arrangements with the airport. It is these overnight and early morning movements that are most exposed to the strike. Flights operating entirely outside the 10pm to 8am window are not directly affected by the strike, though delays can build up and carry over.
What to do right now
- Check your flight status directly with your airline before travelling to the airport, especially if you are due to fly between 10pm and 8am on any night up to 10th October.
- Allow extra time if you do need to travel, as knock-on delays are possible even outside the striking hours.
- Keep an eye on updates from Brussels South Charleroi Airport and your airline in the days ahead, as the strike is scheduled to run for several weeks.
Changing your Holiday Extras booking
If your travel plans have changed, you can amend or cancel your Holiday Extras booking online.
- Customers with a Flextras cancellation can cancel any time up to midnight before the booked day of travel, for a flexible voucher to rebook once new travel details are confirmed.
- Flextras: Saver customers can cancel for a voucher to use against the same product once new plans are confirmed.
- Use our online amends system to change dates, times, terminals or cancel your booking if required.
Customers already at the airport or travelling tonight
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