Ryanair strike at Charleroi airport: Almost 40% of flights cancelled on 15 & 16 July

Almost 40% of Ryanair flights to and from Charleroi airport will be cancelled over the weekend of 15 and 16 July due to a strike by Belgian pilots, the airline has announced.

On Thursday, Ryanair listed cancelled 44 flights for Saturday 15 July; no information was given for Sunday’s flights, reports RTBF.

The permanent secretary of the pilots’ union CNE, Didier Lebbe, confirmed on Wednesday the strike by Belgian-based Ryanair pilots over the weekend. "The disruption is expected to be significant," he said. More than 80% of pilots based at Charleroi airport are due to strike.

The 44 flights to and from Brussels South Charleroi Airport cancelled on Saturday are listed on the airport’s site here.

Ryanair flights at Brussels national airport are not affected by the strike as the airline’s few flights that transit Zaventem do not employ Belgian pilots.

“All passengers affected by this situation have been notified of the cancellations and informed of the possibility of rescheduling their flights or receiving a refund,” noted Ryanair.

Its pilots are demanding a salary increase in response to the 20% cuts made at the start of the pandemic to help the airline get through the crisis. Their action is also in response to planned changes to their work schedules and rest periods.

Photo: ©Ryanair