News / Cargo gets off lightly as Brussels Airport cancels 400+ passenger flights

Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport (BRU) is closed to all outbound flights today, due to airport workers supporting a national one-day strike in Belgium against “austerity” measures by the government.

However, the impact on cargo traffic appears limited, an airport authority spokesperson telling The Loadstar that only five out 50 freighter flights today had been cancelled.

“And the reasons for these cancellations are not necessarily related to the strike,” added the spokesperson.

However, given that a significant percentage of cargo handled at BRU is bellyhold, the loss of the normal daily schedule of more than 400 outbound flights today will impact some shipments.

As for inbound passenger flights, 110 have been cancelled and 93 maintained.

No disruption has been reported at Liège and Ostend-Bruges airports – Belgium’s two other main air cargo hubs.

However, in the case of Liège, customs officers went on strike last Friday, a protest over new working hours, and it is unclear whether this industrial action continues.

Rail transport in Belgium is also impacted by the strike, with railway operator SNCB warning that only one in two, or even one in three, trains would be running.

Elsewhere, Kuehne + Nagel is flagging expected disruption from a nationwide general strike in Italy planned for Friday, in protest at the government’s 2026 budget bill.

Local media reports indicate that the strike will affect the entire freight sector, spanning warehouses, distribution, and port activities, with expected consequences for supply chains, the Switzerland-based forwarder said.

Significant participation in the strike is expected at the major ports, notably Genoa, Trieste, Liverno, and Civitavecchia, where dockworkers have manned picket lines before.

Rail services will be suspended for 24 hours, from 9pm on Thuersday, potentially resulting in cancellations and route changes.

The strike is also set to impact flight crews and airport ground staff, which could lead to flight cancellations and delays at several Italian airports.

And another general strike in Italy has been called for 12 December.