Belgium November 24 26 Strikes Slam Flights And Trains

A Belgium national strike disrupting flights and trains from November 24 to 26, 2025, is already shutting down major routes through Brussels and other Belgian cities. Air travelers using Brussels Airport (BRU) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), plus rail passengers on domestic and cross border lines, face widespread cancellations and sharply reduced service. Anyone who can move their trip outside the strike window, reroute via nearby hubs, or build in extra buffer time for connections and airport access will have a smoother experience.

In practical terms, the three day walkout is cutting SNCB rail services to a fraction of normal levels, canceling all departures at Brussels Airport on November 26, and closing Brussels South Charleroi Airport completely that day, leaving only limited skeleton services on some international rail lines into and out of Belgium.

Flights Canceled At Brussels Airport And Charleroi

Brussels Airport has confirmed that all scheduled departing passenger flights on Wednesday, November 26, are canceled because security screening and ground handling staff will join the national strike.Earlier advisories focused on departures, but updated figures now show that more than half of incoming flights on the same day have also been dropped, with roughly 110 of 203 planned arrivals canceled and a reduced number still expected to land.Airlines are responsible for deciding which services to operate or cancel and have begun contacting customers with rebooking options or refunds.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport, an important low cost hub for Ryanair, Wizz Air, and TUI fly, has gone further, stating that it will not operate any departures or arrivals on November 26.The airport is also warning that access will be difficult on all three strike days, from November 24 to 26, because of roadblocks and major public transport disruptions, so even travelers who manage to keep flights on the surrounding days should expect slower journeys to and from the terminal.

Smaller Belgian airports are less affected. Antwerp International Airport and Ostend Bruges International Airport report that they expect to operate near normal schedules, though individual flights can still be adjusted if crews or ground staff are unavailable.For some travelers, especially those bound for nearby Dutch or French cities, rerouting via these secondary airports, then continuing by car or local train once the strike eases, may be more practical than insisting on Brussels departures or arrivals.

Some airlines are already publishing flexible change policies in response to the strike. Air Canada, for example, is allowing eligible passengers booked through Brussels between November 24 and December 3 to rebook once without a change fee if their original travel date fell on November 25 or 26, subject to cabin and availability rules.Other carriers serving Brussels Airport and Charleroi are taking similar approaches, and travelers should watch for email notifications and check airline travel advisory pages regularly.

Rail, Metro, And Bus Disruption Across Belgium

The rail strike began at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, and is scheduled to last until the end of service on Wednesday, November 26, covering almost the entire national network operated by SNCB.SNCB has drawn up a reduced timetable based on available staff and has warned that on some lines only about 20 percent of normal trains will run, with many routes seeing only every second or even every third train compared with a standard weekday schedule.

Urban transport will also be under pressure. In Brussels, public transit operator STIB and local authorities have advised that metro, tram, and bus services will be heavily disrupted through November 26 as staff participate in the strikes and as road congestion builds around depots and main corridors.Travelers who normally rely on a quick hop by metro to reach Brussels Midi, Brussels Central, or Brussels Airport train stations should plan on longer walks, taxi rides, or rideshare trips, and factor potential road closures or traffic jams into their connection times.

The U S Mission in Belgium has issued a formal message to U S citizens noting that the coordinated strikes could disrupt air travel and public transportation nationwide from November 24 to 26, and specifically warning that demonstrations, picket lines, and roadblocks may appear around transport hubs.The embassy recommends allowing extra time to reach the airport, monitoring local media and operator websites, and avoiding confrontations near protest sites.

International Trains And Cross Border Links

International trains are not stopping entirely, but the service pattern looks more like a skeleton than a normal timetable. SNCB International and operator updates indicate that only about half of Eurostar trains between Brussels and Paris are running during the strike, with a smaller proportion, around 20 percent, of trains on routes linking Brussels, Liège, and Germany.Roughly three quarters of trains between Brussels and Amsterdam, and onward between Amsterdam and London, are expected to operate, while Brussels to Lille and London, and London to Paris, are largely running as planned.

These patterns matter most for through passengers. Someone connecting from a long haul flight into Brussels and onward by train to Cologne, for instance, might find that their specific ICE departure has been canceled while the next two options run as normal.Because replacement trains are limited, missed connections due to delayed flights or local transport snarls may leave travelers waiting many hours for the next available seat, or forced to complete the journey by coach or rental car.

SNCB and its international partners are publishing updated timetables and live disruption pages daily.Travelers should check the journey planner in the SNCB app or on the Belgian rail website the evening before, and again on the day of travel, and should keep digital copies of tickets handy in case staff need to verify eligibility for rerouting or alternative services.

How Travelers Can Reroute Or Reduce Risk

For anyone who has not yet started their trip, the lowest risk move is to avoid the strike window altogether. If tickets allow, shifting flights or trains to dates before November 24 or after November 26 will sidestep most of the current disruption and reduce the chance of getting stuck en route. Airline waivers such as Air Canada's Brussels policy show that carriers recognize the scale of the problem and will often let you move travel without fees when your original flight is directly affected by the strike.

If you must travel during the strike, consider rerouting through nearby hubs that are not part of the Belgian labor action. Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Gare du Nord and Lille Europe for rail, Frankfurt, and Cologne Bonn are all realistic alternatives for many itineraries, with onward connections by high speed train or coach once inside France, the Netherlands, or Germany. Building in a long layover in one of these hubs, rather than planning a tight same day connection in Brussels, will lower the odds of misconnecting if a strike related delay hits the first leg.

Inside Belgium, assume that bus replacements and local trains will be crowded where they exist, and that taxis and rideshares will be in high demand, particularly around Brussels Airport, Brussels South Charleroi, major rail stations, and hotel districts.Booking private transfers in advance, traveling with carry on luggage only, and allowing wide margins for check in and security can all help. Travelers searching for "Belgium national strike flights trains" updates should rely on operator websites, official social feeds, and embassy advisories rather than social media rumor.

Background, Why Belgian Unions Are Striking

The November 24 to 26 strike is the latest in a series of actions organized by Belgium's main trade unions against the federal government's budget and labor reform plans, including proposals to raise the statutory retirement age and change pension rules.Union leaders argue that the measures would reduce future retirees' income and widen inequality, while Prime Minister Bart De Wever's coalition has framed them as necessary steps to curb deficits without raising taxes.

A general strike in October already grounded flights at Belgium's two main airports and severely disrupted Brussels public transport, affecting tens of thousands of travelers and signaling how quickly industrial action can hit the country's transport network.With three coordinated days of walkouts in November, impacts are broader and more predictable, but still serious enough that most nonessential trips should be shifted if possible, and essential journeys need backup plans.

Looking ahead, there is no firm timeline for a political compromise that would remove the risk of further transport strikes, so travelers planning winter or early spring trips through Belgium should keep one eye on union calendars and government negotiations. For detailed route by route breakdowns of the first strike day and specific rail cuts, readers can refer to Adept Traveler's earlier Belgium November 24 26 Strikes Flights Trains coverage, and for a deeper dive into European strike rules and passenger rights, our evergreen guide to navigating strikes in Europe outlines what support airlines and rail operators must offer when services are canceled.

Sources

• Flights grounded and trains cancelled as Belgium faces three day national strike
• Brussels Airport cancels all departing flights on November 26 due to strike
• Brussels Airport says 110 extra flights cancelled on Wednesday due to strike
• Three day strike to disrupt transport, hospitals and schools in Belgium
• Strikes and union actions, SNCB
• Traffic disruptions and works, SNCB International
• Air Travel and Public Transportation Disruptions, U S Mission Belgium
• Belgium faces nationwide disruption as unions strike
• Belgium general strike grounds airlines, disrupts Brussels public transport
• Air Canada rebooking policy for Brussels strike