More Ryanair strike disruption in Belgium on 10 August

Ryanair pilots based in Belgium will join their Irish colleagues and strike on 10 August, with a local trade union accusing the budget airline of "flatly refusing to apply Belgian labour law".

The airline has already been hit by strike action by Irish pilots over three days in July, and a cabin crew strike in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal for two days at the end of last month.

Irish pilots are on strike again today (Friday 3 August) - and their next walkout on 10 August has the backing of the Belgian Cockpit Association. The pilots' union said: "Ryanair’s model must change. Since last autumn and the cancellation of a great number of flights because of a pilot shortage until this summer’s strikes, the model Michael O’Leary has been so proud of has clearly demonstrated its limits."

It added: "Ryanair has been running a campaign of intimidation targeted at some of the crew members who participated in these recent strikes. These practices are unacceptable and go against the right to strike, which is a fundamental right guaranteed by all international conventions."

Ryanair pilots in Switzerland are also joining the 10 August strike, and pilots in the Netherlands and Germany are considering the same.

The airline has described next Friday's action as "irresponsible, unwarranted, disrupting customers and a way of damaging Ryanair’s business".