An unexpected strike by air traffic controllers in Belgium has forced the provisional closure of the country's airspace from 2:00 PM this Tuesday, leading to the cancellation of at least 200 flights at Brussels' main airport.
"Due to a spontaneous strike by air traffic controllers, no air traffic is possible in Belgium between 2:00 PM and 9:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2nd," reported Brussels-Zaventem International Airport in a notice posted on its website.
Given this situation, the airport recommends that passengers with flights scheduled between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM not travel to the facilities, as "no flights will depart or arrive" during that period.
Furthermore, flights scheduled between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM will be rescheduled to take off or land after 9:00 PM, "if possible," the airport added, urging travelers to check with their airline for the updated departure time of each flight.
Air traffic controllers from the public company Skeyes, responsible for managing Belgian airspace, began protests on Monday night without prior notice at the airports of Charleroi, located about 50 kilometers south of Brussels, and Liège, which already caused disruptions to about 80 commercial and cargo flights.
The reason for the conflict is the future digital control tower being built in the municipality of Namur, intended to centrally assume, from 2027, the operations of the current control towers of Liège and Charleroi.