Charleroi Airport Strike: What You Should Know

Charleroi Airport Strike: What You Should Know

If you're flying through Belgium this autumn, here's the headline: air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport are staging nightly walkouts from 10pm to 8am, every night, for 24 consecutive nights, running through to 10th October 2026. That's the short version of the Charleroi Airport strike, and if any part of your trip touches those overnight hours, you'll want the full picture before you leave for the terminal.

Here's everything you actually need to do about it — no jargon, no panic, just a clear plan.

Why Controllers Walked Out

The dispute comes down to pay. Air traffic controllers, employed by Belgium's Skeyes air navigation service, are pushing for night shift allowances to rise to 160% of the current rate. Skeyes says the payment already tops €1,000 per shift and has rejected the demand. Mediation attempts since a strike notice was filed in late July have gone nowhere, and there's a longer-term issue simmering underneath: plans to shift Charleroi's air traffic control into a new digital hub in Namur, eventually covering both Charleroi and Liege from one location.

Which Flights Get Hit

Charleroi's runway technically shuts for part of the night, but certain aircraft — including Ryanair jets based at the airport — still have standing clearance to land or depart during strike hours. Those overnight and early-morning departures are the ones most exposed. If your flight is scheduled entirely outside the 10pm–8am window, it should run as normal, though delays from earlier disruption can ripple forward into the day.

Your Action Checklist

Don't wait to find out the hard way. Do this instead:

• Check your flight status directly with your airline before you set off, especially for any departure or arrival between 10pm and 8am up to 10th October.
• Build in extra time, even for daytime flights, since knock-on delays can carry over from the night before.
• Watch for updates from Brussels South Charleroi Airport and your airline over the coming weeks — this is a rolling situation, not a one-off.

Rebooking And Refunds

Plans changed? You're not stuck. Most booking platforms let you amend dates, times or terminals online, and flexible cancellation options (often called something like Flextras) let you swap a disrupted booking for a voucher once your new travel details are confirmed. If you're already at the airport or flying tonight, live chat support is usually your fastest route to a human who can help.

Don't Forget Your Parking

Here's the part travellers often overlook during strike chaos: your airport parking booking. Flight delays and schedule shuffles can throw off your drop-off and pick-up times, and a rigid parking slot booked weeks ago suddenly doesn't fit your new itinerary.

This is exactly where comparetheairportparking.com earns its keep. Instead of scrambling to call around or accept a non-refundable slot that no longer matches your flight, you can compare flexible, well-reviewed parking deals across every major UK and Belgian-bound departure airport in minutes. Many options come with free cancellation or amendment windows, so if your Charleroi flight shifts because of the strike, your parking plan can shift with it — no lost money, no added stress.

The Bottom Line

The Charleroi Airport strike is disruptive, but it's manageable if you plan around it. Check your flight status, pad your travel time, keep your booking flexible, and sort your parking through a platform built for exactly this kind of last-minute change. A little preparation now means one less thing to worry about between 10pm and 8am.