Strikes at Brussels Airport caused significant disruption to Belgian air traffic in 2025, resulting in the cancellation of 2,395 flights and affecting around 330,000 passengers, according to figures released by MP Kjell Vander Elst. Seven days of nationwide strike action disrupted operations at the airport, with an estimated 275,000 passengers missing their flights.
Brussels Airport estimates the economic impact at nearly €175 million for the year, with each strike day costing approximately €25 million. Vander Elst warned that repeated industrial action is undermining the airport’s reliability and damaging Belgium’s economic competitiveness.
The criticism comes amid broader tensions over aviation policy, as the federal government plans to further increase the air tax to €10 per departing passenger from 2027, following a rise from €2 to €5 in 2025, a move opponents argue will further weaken the sector.