A spontaneous strike has broken out at Brussels Airport in Zaventem on Monday among staff of its baggage handler Aviapartner, resulting in some flight delays as well as passengers experiencing issues when receiving their luggage.
Not much is known about the impact, cause or duration of the strike action yet, but Brussels Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli confirmed that some of Aviapartner's staff are not working on Monday.
"The impact is mainly felt in baggage handling," she told The Brussels Times. "Arriving passengers on some flights will not (immediately) receive their baggage when they get off the plane. For others, there will be no problems. Passengers whose baggage did not fly with them to their destination can file a claim on the airport website."
Departing passengers may experience problems as well, Chioua Lekhli added. Passengers can check whether Aviapartner handles their flight via this website. If their flight is handled by Alyzia, there will be no impact.
The strike on Monday may cause minor delays for some flights, but she stressed that the greatest impact would be on baggage handling.
Last year, staff at Aviapartners also went on a spontaneous strike during the Carnival holidays (which are starting today in Francophone education), as they were dissatisfied with working conditions and work pressure at the airport. At the time, the strike resulted in about 5,000 pieces of luggage being left behind at the airport.
