Charleroi night flights hit by strikes until 10 October: Belgium advice updated
What happened
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for Belgium on 17 September 2026, adding information about strike action. The main point for travellers concerns Brussels South Charleroi Airport, known by the code BSCA. Air traffic controllers there have announced strikes starting Wednesday 16 September. The strikes run every night between 10pm and 8am. The industrial action is expected to continue until Saturday 10 October. This may affect flights arriving at and departing from Charleroi Airport. The advice also notes that a large-scale demonstration is expected in central Brussels on Friday 9 October. There is no confirmation yet on whether this will affect public transport or wider public services including schools. The FCDO points out that strike action is an ongoing issue in Belgium that can cause disruption. General strikes took place on 31 March, 29 April, 14 October, 26 November and 15 December 2025, and on 12 March and 12 May 2026. Importantly, the advice warns that strike action may be announced at short notice.
Why this matters
Charleroi is not a minor airport for UK travellers. It is a major base for low-cost airlines, and it is the airport many people use for Brussels and the surrounding region on a budget. The timing of these strikes is what makes them awkward. Overnight, 10pm to 8am, is exactly when budget carriers schedule a large share of their cheapest flights. Early morning departures and late evening arrivals are the ones at risk. The duration matters too. This is not a single day of action. It runs until 10 October, which covers several weekends and the early part of the October half-term period for some schools. And air traffic control strikes are different from airline strikes. If your airline's staff strike, another airline can often still fly you. If the air traffic controllers at an airport strike, flights cannot operate regardless of which airline you booked with. The demonstration on 9 October is a separate matter and may well pass without affecting visitors at all. But if you are in Brussels that day, it is worth knowing about in advance rather than discovering it at a closed metro station.
What the evidence actually says
The FCDO advice is careful about what it does and does not know, and it is worth mirroring that care. What is stated: air traffic controllers at Charleroi have announced strikes from Wednesday 16 September, every night between 10pm and 8am, expected to continue until Saturday 10 October. This "may impact" incoming and outgoing flights. Note the word "may". An announced strike does not mean every flight in that window will be cancelled. Some flights operate normally during industrial action, depending on staffing levels and minimum service rules. The advice does not promise disruption, and it does not promise you will be fine either. What is uncertain: the 9 October demonstration. The FCDO says plainly that there is no confirmation on whether it will affect public transport or wider public services including schools. That is an honest statement of not knowing, and it should not be read as a warning to stay away. What the pattern tells us: the list of general strike dates through 2025 and 2026 shows this is a recurring feature of Belgian life rather than an emergency. Belgium remains a perfectly normal country to visit. The FCDO is not advising against travel. The single most actionable line in the advice is the warning that strike action may be announced at short notice. That is the reason to keep checking rather than checking once. The FCDO directs travellers to the website of Brussels South Charleroi Airport for the latest information, and advises monitoring local news and checking with your provider regarding potential delays and closures.
Practical advice
If you have a trip to Belgium booked between now and 10 October, here is a sensible checklist. Check your flight time against the strike window. If your flight is scheduled between 10pm and 8am at Charleroi, you are in the affected period. If it is in the middle of the day, you are much less likely to be affected. Check the airport's own website. The FCDO specifically recommends Brussels South Charleroi Airport's website for the latest information. It will be more current than any news article. Check with your airline directly, and make sure they can reach you. Confirm the contact details on your booking are correct, and turn on notifications in the airline's app. Airlines usually contact you first if a flight is cancelled or moved. Know your rights. For flights departing from an EU airport, or arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline, you are generally entitled to a replacement flight or a refund if your flight is cancelled. Air traffic control strikes are often treated as outside the airline's control, which can mean no cash compensation, but your right to rerouting or a refund still stands. Keep all receipts if you have to pay for anything. Consider a different airport if you are still booking. Brussels Airport at Zaventem is a separate airport and is not covered by this particular announcement. Build in a buffer for anything unmissable. If you are flying back for work, a wedding or a medical appointment, an earlier flight is worth the extra cost during a strike period. If you take regular medication, pack it in your hand luggage, and take a few days' extra supply. Delays and overnight disruption are exactly when people get caught short. Keep medicines in their original labelled packaging, and carry a copy of your prescription or a repeat slip. If you are unsure about travelling with a particular medicine, your pharmacist can advise you before you go. Check your travel insurance covers delay and cancellation. Many policies exclude strikes that were already announced when you bought the cover, so buying insurance now for a known strike may not help. Keep checking, right up to departure. Strike action may be announced at short notice, so a check the night before and the morning of travel is worthwhile.
What to know
The FCDO updated its Belgium travel advice on 17 September 2026. Air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport have announced strikes every night from 10pm to 8am, beginning Wednesday 16 September and expected to continue until Saturday 10 October. Flights in and out of Charleroi may be affected. A large-scale demonstration is expected in central Brussels on Friday 9 October. It is not yet confirmed whether it will affect public transport or other services. Strike action in Belgium is a recurring issue and may be announced at short notice, so check repeatedly rather than once. The FCDO is not advising against travel to Belgium. Check the airport's own website and your airline for the latest position, make sure your airline can contact you, and allow extra time if your trip is unmissable. If you take regular medication, carry it in hand luggage with spare days' supply. Sources: GOV.UK / FCDO, "Belgium travel advice: Warnings and insurance", updated 17 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium ; Brussels South Charleroi Airport, https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/ ; UK Civil Aviation Authority, "Cancelled flights", https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. Always check the current FCDO advice for your destination before you travel, and speak to your pharmacist if you have questions about taking medicines abroad.
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