Major European airport cancels all flights to UK

Hundreds of UK passengers have been left stranded as Brussels South Charleroi Airport cancels all departures today, affecting around 16,000 travellers. The disruption is due to ongoing strike action, resulting in cancelled flights to several UK airports.

Ryanair, a major operator at South Charleroi, has stated they will refund and reroute affected passengers. The budget airline stated on its website: "Due to another security staff strike at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) Airport, we have been forced to cancel a number of flights departing this airport on Tues 22 Oct. Flights arriving in Brussels South Charleroi are unaffected by the strike and will operate as scheduled.

"Passengers affected by these cancellations have been notified of their options of reroute or refund via email. Ryanair sincerely apologises to affected passengers for any inconvenience as a result of this strike, which is beyond Ryanair’s control and affects all airlines operating to/from Brussels South Charleroi on Tues 22 Oct."

People due to arrive at the airport today are advised to contact their airlines. Information on the South Charleroi Airport reads: "Due to an action of the security sector on Tuesday 22 October 2024 and the lack of staff to ensure security operations, all departing flights from Brussels-Charleroi on Tuesday 22 October 2024 have been cancelled.

"The safety of passengers and staff cannot be guaranteed. Passengers due to depart on that day will be contacted within the next few hours by their airline to book a new flight or get a refund. All arrivals at Charleroi airport will be maintained.

"Passengers are invited to contact their airline to confirm their flight. Brussels South Charleroi Airport apologises for the inconvenience and will do its utmost to restart operations normally and safely from Wednesday 23 October 2024."