All departing flights at a major airport have been cancelled, while around half of all arrivals have been scrapped.
Scottish travellers may face major delays today as thousands of flights are set to be cancelled amid airport strikes in Belgium. Two of the country’s main airports confirmed mass cancellations today, Tuesday, October 14.
The strike, which spans airports, public transportation, and essential services, is expected to shut down Brussels and Charleroi Airports, disrupt Eurostar and local trains, and send travel costs soaring across Europe.
At Brussels Airport – the country’s biggest – all departing flights have been cancelled, while around half of all arrivals have been scrapped. Brussels Charleroi Airport, a key base for budget airlines like Ryanair, has also confirmed that all flights—both arrivals and departures—will be axed.
The strike was called by Belgium’s trade unions in protest against government austerity measures. Travel finance experts are now warning that the ripple effect could quietly hit the wallets of thousands of UK travellers.
From emergency hotel bookings to lost tickets and inflated last-minute fares, UK travellers could face hundreds of pounds in unplanned expenses, especially those flying budget routes or connecting through Belgium to other EU destinations.
Paul Gillooly, Travel Finance Expert & Director at Dot Dot Loans, said: “Strikes like this often catch people off guard, not because they didn’t expect delays, but because they didn’t anticipate how much it would cost them.
“What starts as a one-day disruption can spiral into hundreds of pounds in new expenses for the average traveller once you factor in rebooked tickets, hotels, and meals. In today’s economy, where every household is already juggling higher living costs, these unplanned bills hit harder. What we’re seeing is that strikes abroad now carry a financial ripple effect at home, especially for families and younger travellers who rely on budget fares and limited insurance cover.
“The smartest travellers treat travel planning like financial planning. That means reading the fine print on travel insurance, keeping an emergency buffer for unexpected costs, and booking with flexibility in mind. Even small decisions like paying with a credit card or choosing a refundable stay can make the difference between a minor inconvenience and a costly crisis.”
Brussels Airport spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens said on Monday that 115 of 238 scheduled arrivals have been cancelled. Two weeks ago, the airport announced that all 234 departures had been scrapped due to a planned walkout by “a large number” of G4S security staff.
The airport warned of “major disruptions” on the day of the strike, adding that both Monday and Wednesday would be particularly busy as passengers try to rearrange travel plans.
Charleroi Airport said on its website: “Passengers affected scheduled to fly via Charleroi on 14 October will be contacted in the coming days by their airline for a rebooking or refund.”
