Brussels warns strike may disrupt May 12

Brussels Airport said on April 28 that a national strike and demonstrations planned for May 12 could disrupt flights and public transport in and around Brussels. (uk.news.yahoo.com) The airport said a large number of departing flights will have to be cancelled, and some arriving flights may also be affected. Airlines will contact passengers directly in the coming days. (uk.news.yahoo.com) Brussels Airport separately estimated that about half of its departing passenger flights on May 12 will be cancelled. It said carriers were asked to limit departures to keep security lines and border checks manageable. (brusselstimes.com) The disruption is tied to a national demonstration organized by Belgium’s trade unions against federal government policies. Airport operations are vulnerable because many security and ground-handling workers are expected to join the action. (brusselstimes.com) Train and bus services to and from the airport may also be hit. Belgium’s national rail operator, SNCB-NMBS, says it publishes any strike-era service plan only a few days in advance. (uk.news.yahoo.com) (belgiantrain.be) The May 12 protest is the latest in a run of labor actions aimed at the federal government. Brussels Airport said this will be the ninth time since the start of 2025 that union action not directed at the airport has disrupted its traffic. (brusselstimes.com) A similar national day of action on March 12 disrupted transport across Belgium, with demonstrators marching from Brussels-North toward Brussels-Midi and major cuts to the city’s metro service. (brusselstimes.com) For travelers, the immediate issue is timing: the airport’s warning came two weeks before the protest, but rail and local transit details may not be final until shortly before May 12. (uk.news.yahoo.com) (belgiantrain.be)