Charleroi Airport overnight air traffic control strike could disrupt 832 flights

Disruption overview

An overnight air traffic control strike at Brussels South Charleroi Airport in Belgium is set to cause repeated disruption from 16 September to 10 October 2026. Up to 832 flight movements and as many as 300,000 travelers could be affected as walkouts disrupt overnight operations from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am across 24 consecutive nights.

Late arrivals and early departures face the biggest risk because aircraft and crews may be left out of position for the next morning's schedule. Compensation is unlikely under EC 261 when disruption comes directly from an air traffic control strike, but airlines should still offer rebooking or refunds, plus food, drinks, and accommodation where needed.

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Disruption details

Passengers flying through Brussels South Charleroi Airport in Wallonia, Belgium faced the risk of weeks of overnight disruption after air traffic control staff began strike action on 16 September 2026. The walkouts are scheduled to continue through 10 October 2026, and up to 832 flight movements and 300,000 travelers could be affected if the full program goes ahead.

For passengers, this could mean more than a late-night delay. Each stoppage is planned from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am local time across 24 consecutive nights, blocking late-evening arrivals and leaving some aircraft and crews out of position for the first departures of the next morning.

The disruption is expected to hit operations in 2 main ways:

• Up to 345 flights were due to operate during the strike hours themselves.

• Another 487 early-morning departures depend on aircraft that should have stayed overnight at Charleroi.

The airport handled more than 10 million passengers in 2024, so even partial overnight closures can have a wide reach. Brussels South Charleroi Airport is a major base for low-cost carriers, many of which rely on tight turnaround schedules with aircraft arriving shortly before midnight and departing again at daybreak.

When that pattern breaks, disruption can spread quickly. Aircraft may have to divert or stay at another airport, crews can run out of duty time, and the following day's timetable can start to unravel. That raises the chance of delays, consolidations, and cancellations well beyond the strike hours themselves.

Travelers booked on late-night arrivals or early-morning departures are likely to face the biggest risk during the period from 16 September to 10 October 2026. Airport officials have urged passengers to monitor flight status closely and check directly with their airline before traveling, while general operational bulletins are expected throughout the strike.

The exact mix of delays and cancellations will depend on the revised schedules airlines put in place. Some carriers may also reposition aircraft to Brussels-Zaventem or other nearby airports to protect wider networks. If you can change your plans, a midday flight may be a safer option than a daybreak departure during the affected dates.

This industrial action is tied to a labor dispute within the air traffic control workforce, not bad weather or a technical failure. Because delays or cancellations caused directly by air traffic control strikes sit outside the airline's control, compensation is unlikely under EC 261.

Still, you do have important rights if your trip is disrupted. If your flight is canceled, your airline should offer rerouting or a refund. During longer delays, it should also provide food and refreshments, and if you're stranded overnight, accommodation and transport to it. If you'd like to understand what may apply to your journey, AirHelp's free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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