Dozens of travellers at Brussels Airport were forced to leave their bags behind on Tuesday after the airport's handler said it was short of staff, marking the second time since the weekend that the airport is hit with baggage issues.
The airport's main baggage handler Swissport said that it was struggling with a shortage of runway drivers since many of its employees were on sick leave, the airport and Brussels Airlines confirmed, according to Bruzz.
A Brussels Airlines spokesperson said that measures were taken to limit the impact, adding it was "certainly not comparable" to Saturday, when a breakdown of the handling system saw thousands of travellers fly off without their luggage.
"We have delayed as many flights as possible so that the luggage can still be taken," Kim Daenen of Brussels Airlines told the outlet, adding: "nevertheless, luggage has been left behind."
Only a few a dozen suitcases were left behind on Tuesday, Daenen said, adding that the high number of weekday flights mean that suitcases would be quickly flown to their owners.
The situation on Tuesday comes after Swissport was hit by a work-to-rule action at the start of July, as employees protested "unsustainable" conditions due to understaffing.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
