Brussels airport cancels 110 incoming flights amid nationwide strike

Brussels Airport announced that 110 of the 203 scheduled incoming flights on November 26 will be canceled, on top of the departing flights already scrapped due to a nationwide strike. The information was confirmed by a spokesperson.

“The cancellations affect 110 incoming flights. It will be up to the airlines to reroute passengers,” the spokesperson said, adding that the remaining 93 incoming flights are expected to operate as scheduled, Reuters reports.

The strike involves part of the airport’s security and ground-handling personnel and is being held in protest against the government’s austerity measures.

Almost all arrivals are likely to be grounded. British Airways has already cancelled its links between London Heathrow and Brussels for the day.

The strikes comes as the Belgian government on November 24 reached an agreement on its budget for next year after months of tense negotiations.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever earlier this month set a Christmas deadline for his bickering five-party coalition to reach a deal, after they continued to disagree on how to repair government finances.

Agreement was reached during marathon talks that started on November 23 morning and went until early on November 24.

The deal includes tax hikes on share purchases, airplane tickets and natural gas and a new tax on banks.

Together with cuts in government spending, this should lower the government deficit by 9.2 billion euros ($10.6 billion) by 2029.

The budget deficit of the euro zone's sixth-largest economy is set to hit 4.5% of gross domestic product this year, with debt of 104.7 per cent of GDP, according to the central bank - well above the maximum agreed under EU budget rules.

Further strikes by rail workers – who face a higher retirement age – are planned for the New Year.

By Vafa Guliyeva