Chaos has descended on Brussels Airport as air traffic control workers walk out unexpectedly. The strike is expected to last from 9:30am until 1pm local time.
Closure of the Belgium capital’s airport means many flights have been cancelled and others severely delayed. British Airways, TUI Airways and Ryanair passengers have all had their flights disrupted.
Passengers that are due to travel home from Brussels today are being advised to not go to the airport if their flight has been cancelled. Flights that are still scheduled to depart or arrive are expected to suffer severe disruption throughout the day, and further cancellations are imminent.
Due to the nature of the cancellation or delayed flight, passengers will not be able to claim compensation from the airline. Strike action is classed, by the Civil Aviation Authority, as an extraordinary circumstance (an event that is outside of the airline’s control).
If the flight is cancelled airlines should offer their passengers a refund or transfer them onto another flight. If the flight is delayed, travel insurers will offer a small amount of compensation to those affected by delays, providing they have checked-in on time and the delay was not announced beforehand.
Earlier this month, air traffic control strikes in Italy and France caused disruption for thousands of passengers.
