Belgium Strikes Disrupt Flights, Trains, And Airports

Belgium's planned three day national strike from November 24 to 26 is now translating into real disruption across the country, with flights, trains, and city transport all affected. Travelers using Brussels Airport (BRU), Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), and key rail corridors are already seeing cancellations, long waits, and limited alternatives. Anyone connecting through Belgium this week now needs to treat itineraries as flexible, add generous buffers, and be ready to move trips away from the most heavily hit day, which is Wednesday November 26 2025.

In practical terms, the Belgium November 24 26 strikes flights and trains disruption means skeleton SNCB rail service, closed or heavily reduced flight schedules at major airports on November 26, and unreliable local transit for three consecutive days.

How The Three Day Strike Is Structured

Belgium's three main unions ABVV, ACV, and ACLVB have called a coordinated national action in protest at government austerity plans and proposed changes to social spending and pensions. The campaign is structured as three waves, with a rail focused strike on Monday November 24, a broader public services stoppage on Tuesday November 25, and a nationwide cross sector shutdown on Wednesday November 26.

National rail operator SNCB has shifted to an emergency timetable that runs from November 23 at 2200 through November 26 at 2200, using only the staff who are not participating in the strike. The company says only a limited number of trains are running, and encourages travelers to check its website or app on the day of travel because the list of confirmed services may change at short notice.

On top of the national rail action, public transport unions have called staff at urban operators De Lijn, STIB MIVB, and TEC to join the strike, which means trams, metros, and buses in cities like Brussels, Antwerp, Liège, and Charleroi are also running with severe disruptions or not running at all on some lines.

What Is Happening At Brussels And Charleroi Airports

For air travelers, Wednesday November 26 is the hardest hit day. Brussels Airport has already announced that all departing flights on November 26 will be canceled because security, baggage handling, and ground operations cannot be safely staffed, and it is warning that some arriving flights may also be affected. The airport and partner airlines say they will contact affected passengers with rebooking options, but many travelers headed to or from Brussels will find their flights moved to another date or rerouted through different hubs.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport, a key base for low cost carriers, is going even further and plans to halt its full flight schedule on November 26, with all departures and arrivals suspended as its own security and ground handling teams participate in the strike. The airport has confirmed that passengers booked via Charleroi on November 26 will be contacted by airlines with rebooking or refund options, and travel advisories are already warning that services to several cities, including Sofia, will not operate.

Even on November 24 and 25, both airports caution that getting to the terminals will be harder than usual. Official statements and travel industry briefings point to likely roadblocks on key access highways, pickets around airport zones, and serious disruptions to airport bound public transport, which together could add hours to transfer times or cause passengers to miss flights despite still operating schedules.

Rail, Eurostar, And Cross Border Connections

For rail passengers, the impact of the strike is already visible across Belgium's domestic and international network. SNCB says services are being cut back to the most essential routes and that many usual trains are simply not running, while stations may have reduced staffing and limited customer service.

SNCB International reports that the national strike is also affecting cross border services between Belgium and neighboring countries, and that an alternative international timetable has been drawn up based on available staff. Lists of trains that will operate are being published only 24 to 48 hours before each strike day, which leaves travelers with little advance certainty.

Eurostar and other operators have trimmed some Brussels services, including reductions on the Brussels to Paris corridor, as part of their contingency plans. That means people who booked through journeys from London to Belgian or Dutch cities that rely on onward SNCB trains may find that their cross border leg still operates, but the domestic connection is canceled or severely delayed, raising a real risk of being stranded in Brussels or Lille.

City Transit, Airport Transfers, And Roadblocks

In Brussels and other major cities, the strike is hitting local mobility as well. Day one of the action has already brought widespread disruption to public transport, with reduced frequencies, entire lines out of service, and crowded alternatives where trams or buses do run.

For airport transfers, the combination of reduced trains, irregular buses, and possible roadblocks on motorways into Brussels and Charleroi makes travel times difficult to predict. Belgian and European travel advisories are warning that during the November 24 to 26 period, trips to the airport may be slowed by diversions and heavy traffic on secondary roads, and that standard journey time estimates no longer apply.

Travelers using intercity coach services, ride hailing, or taxis as backups should also expect congestion around ring roads and junctions near industrial zones and transport hubs where strike actions and demonstrations are concentrated.

Practical Strategies For Travelers In And Around Belgium

Anyone who has not yet started their trip and holds flexible tickets should first try to move travel to dates outside the November 24 to 26 strike window, especially away from Wednesday November 26, when both Brussels Airport and Charleroi have near complete shutdowns. Where that is not possible, shifting flights a day earlier or later, or rerouting via nearby hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), or Frankfurt Airport (FRA) may reduce risk, although those hubs may see spillover crowding from diverted passengers.

For those who must fly into or out of Belgium during the strike, the safest approach is to treat airport access itself as the main uncertainty. Travelers should allow several extra hours before departure, book the earliest feasible flights, and avoid tight same day connections, particularly if they depend on a train to reach or leave the airport.

Rail passengers should assume that pre strike timetables are no longer valid and instead rely on same day information from SNCB and SNCB International, via official apps and websites, before leaving for the station. If a journey involves Eurostar or another international operator, it can be safer to break the trip into legs, for example overnighting in Brussels or another hub, rather than planning a tight through connection.

In cities, visitors may want to stay in neighborhoods within walking distance of key sights or business districts, so they can move on foot if trams and buses are heavily disrupted. Hotels near Brussels Midi or the city center can offer more flexibility for last minute Eurostar or Thalys style changes than properties that rely on suburban rail or bus lines.

How This Fits Into Wider European Strike Risks

The Belgian strike is part of a broader pattern of industrial action affecting European transport this season, with rail and aviation workers in several countries pressing pay and staffing demands as costs rise. For travelers, the practical lesson is that strike calendars now matter as much as weather forecasts when planning winter trips that rely on rail and air.

Adept Traveler has already covered the lead up to Belgium's November 24 to 26 strike wave, including early rebooking options and Eurostar risks, in a separate advisory on waivers and connection issues. That piece, along with coverage of December strike programs at operators like CrossCountry in the United Kingdom, can help travelers understand how similar actions may roll out in other markets and why generous buffers and backup plans are becoming normal trip planning tools rather than last resort measures.

Sources

• [SNCB strike and union action information][1]
• [SNCB International disruption overview for Belgian strike][2]
• [Flights grounded and trains cancelled as Belgium faces three day national strike, Euronews][3]
• [Day 1 of Belgium's three day strike, The Brussels Times][4]
• [Air Travel and Public Transportation Disruptions, U S Embassy Brussels][5]
• [Belgium Braces for 72 Hour National Strike Shutting Down Air, Rail and Urban Transport, VisaHQ][6]
• [Nationwide three day strike disrupts Belgian and international transport, Belga News Agency][7]
• [Belgium's November 24 to 26 Strikes Add New Airline Waivers And Eurostar Risks, Adept Traveler][8]
• [December CrossCountry Rail Strikes Threaten UK Holiday Travel, Adept Traveler][9]