Belgium Faces Widespread Labor Protests, 140 Flights Canceled

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Brussels Airport experienced significant flight disruptions on Friday amid widespread nationwide protests in Belgium, as reported by Luxembourg Times via Mehr News Agency.

Around 140 out of more than 500 scheduled flights were canceled at the airport. This action coincides with the commencement of a nationwide strike called by labor unions. The flight cancellations are attributed to a reduction in staff at Alyzia, a ground handling services provider for 21 airlines including Brussels Airlines. Approximately half of the flights serviced by Alyzia will proceed as scheduled, with the other half canceled. Brussels Airlines itself anticipates canceling close to 40 percent of its flights.

A protest rally is planned to begin today from Brussels Central Station, with participants marching towards Gare du Midi. The slogan for this demonstration is ‘Do not put your hands in our pockets.’

French-speaking students, who have been demonstrating primarily in the city of Liege for the past week, are also expected to participate in large numbers. They are protesting austerity measures, which they argue weaken the quality of secondary education, and are condemning increases in higher education tuition fees.

Since the current government led by Bart De Wever took office in February 2025, Belgium has experienced several major nationwide strikes. The underlying reasons for these protests are well-documented: attempts to limit the indexing of wages, pensions, and benefits; cuts to benefits for long-term unemployed and part-time workers; and an increase in working hours.

Labor unions have so far achieved only limited concessions. The government, however, remains firm in its stance, asserting that strikes will not alter the situation and will only exacerbate it.