Charleroi ATC Strike Disrupts Ryanair Flights, Night Operations Affected

Charleroi ATC Strike Disrupts Ryanair Flights, Night Operations Affected

September 17, 2026 — Air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) began a series of nightly strikes yesterday, Wednesday, September 16, 2026. This industrial action marks the first of 24 consecutive nights of stoppages, scheduled to run until October 10, affecting all night shifts from 22:00 to 08:00 local time.

The strike has already led to numerous flight cancellations, primarily impacting Ryanair services. The initial cancellations occurred hours before the walkout officially commenced, as airlines adjusted schedules to avoid aircraft being stranded or unable to land during the strike period.

Widespread Cancellations and Operational Impact

On Wednesday, 14 Ryanair round-trip services were canceled. These included routes to Bucharest, Ibiza, Palma, Madrid, Venice, Bologna, Prague, Turin, Manchester, and Stockholm. The cancellations began with a 16:10 departure, as returning aircraft for these flights would have landed after controllers ceased work.

The disruption extended into Thursday morning, with an additional eight early departures canceled. These included flights to Helsinki, Valencia, Barcelona, and Budapest, according to the airport’s published schedule as reported by The Brussels Times. The impact of overnight stoppages is magnified because airlines cannot dispatch aircraft if their return legs are scheduled during the strike hours, leading to a cascading effect on subsequent flights.

Skeyes, the Belgian air traffic control provider, estimates approximately 832 movements will be affected over the 24-night period, comprising 487 early morning flights and 345 night flights. Charleroi Airport forecasts roughly 150,000 travelers will be impacted, while Walloon airports minister Cecile Neven has cited figures up to 300,000.

Core of the Dispute: Night Allowances

The industrial action stems from a dispute over night allowances. The VSOA union is seeking a 160% increase in the controllers’ night allowance, advocating for parity with colleagues at other units, specifically Liege Airport. Skeyes contends that the current allowance already exceeds 1,000 euros per shift per controller.

Skeyes argues against direct comparison with Liege, noting that Charleroi closes overnight, handling significantly fewer night flights (an average of three) compared to Liege (approximately 27). Most arrivals at Charleroi, according to Skeyes, are Ryanair aircraft returning before midnight, after which controllers can sleep on-site under an arrangement dating back to a 2009 reform.

However, VSOA representative Lennert Mervilde disputes the notion of a genuinely quiet airport, citing instances of based aircraft landing during the closed period, including one at 5:20 am the previous week, as reported by Travel Tomorrow. This marks the second escalation of the dispute, following a suspended strike notice in August after initial, ultimately unsuccessful, talks.

Passenger Rights and Recommendations

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, strikes external to the airline