Travellers at Brussels Airport whose flights were cancelled on Friday as a result of a strike by Aviapartner baggage handlers have been asked to return home and check with their airlines. Airport authorities made the request to reduce crowding in the airport’s departure hall. “It’s now easier to reserve another flight online,” said airport spokesperson Nathalie Pierard. “Here travellers will lose a lot of time,” she added.
However, many flights are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, which mark the start of the All Saints vacation, and an immediate solution could be difficult to find.
With negotiations between the Aviapartner management and unions deadlocked, Brussels Airport maintains its advice to passengers to travel light. “Avoiding check-in luggage allows us to reduce baggage handling to a minimum,” Mrs. Pierard said.
The airport said it was not possible for travellers to recover their luggage this Friday. It added that it expected a new wave of passengers around 3.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m., which are peak periods for air traffic.
Of the 800 passenger flights scheduled for Friday at Brussels Airport, 150 have been suspended. About 100 of these are departing flights and some 50 incoming flights. Travellers affected by the Aviapartner strike can ask their airlines for compensation.
The Brussels Times
