Repeated national strikes hit aviation disproportionately hard
Already 180,000 passengers bear the brunt of social actions that have already cost the Belgian economy €100 million this year
Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and TUI fly are expressing growing concern about the monthly national demonstrations that are systematically disrupting air traffic. From January to April this year, national union actions have impacted the airport every single month. As a result, a total of 180,000 passengers have been affected at Brussels Airport. These repeated actions, directed against the policies and measures of the federal government, are having a disproportionate impact on tens of thousands of passengers, airline staff and the aviation sector as a whole. Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and TUI fly are therefore calling on the unions to take a different approach, one that does not again hit passengers on June 25.
Over the past few months, Brussels Airport and the airlines have already had to deal with the consequences of national industrial action on four occasions, while these actions were in response to the plans of the new federal government. The airport partners respect the right to strike but regret the enormous impact on passengers and the entire industry. Every national demonstration or strike results in tens of thousands of people affected by cancelled flights. The past four months with four days of action, 180,000 travelers have already been impacted.
A flight cancellation has a profound impact on every passenger, whether they are traveling for vacation, to visit family, for work, or any other reason. Travel plans often involve hotel bookings, event reservations, and other arrangements. These 180,000 people have suffered significant inconvenience and financial consequences due to the strikes. Beyond the individual impact, the repeated disruptions also damage the reputation of the aviation industry, of our country and the airline companies. Despite their maximum efforts to provide solutions for their travelers, airlines are facing high costs and a significant additional workload.
‘As an airport, it is a painful decision we have to make with the partners every time to cancel flights due to a strike. Our passengers count on their flights for very different reasons, and we have had to disappoint them too many times this year because of these actions. The strikes this year have already cost the Belgian economy 100 million euros. With each strike, a whole chain is affected, from the individual passenger to the airlines, from the export companies to the cargo processing, from the travel agencies to the Belgian hotels. Moreover, these many national union actions damage the reputation of our airport and our country in general, which is no longer tenable.’ says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.
"The national demonstrations have already had a negative financial impact of €8 million, despite none of our employees being on strike. At airports, even a small number of strikers can disrupt operations and force a complete shutdown, severely impacting passengers and airlines. We work daily to serve our customers in the best way possible, but when operations are this heavily disrupted, we simply can’t. Another national strike day is planned in June right at the start of the busy summer season. Given the many passengers flying that day, we estimate an additional financial burden of €4 million. This is money that we cannot invest in what really matters: our passengers, our people, and the future of our company. On top of that, there is the risk that passengers will avoid Brussels and move to airlines operating from other airports in neighboring countries. We urgently need alternative solutions to protect our shared future," says Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels Airlines.
“The ongoing national strikes and their impact on Brussels Airport undermine the travel comfort of our TUI passengers, who are forced to divert to other airports if they don’t want to lose vacation days or need to return on their scheduled date. This often significantly extends their travel time and requires additional transfers. The many recent strikes are damaging trust in our national airport." says Gunther Hofman, Managing Director of TUI Airline Belgium and the Netherlands.
Choose alternative actions: don't let our passengers down again
Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and TUI fly are therefore calling for the announced national action in June not to hit the passengers again. Of course, the right to strike and freedom of expression must be respected. However these actions, aimed at federal government policies, are disproportionately detrimental to passengers, to the many working employees who lose wages repeatedly, and to the broader economy.
There are other ways to take action and engage in dialogue, without completely halting air traffic. After four days of disruption already this year, including a strike during the spring holidays for French-speaking schools, the planned date of June 25 is particularly sensitive. It falls just before the summer holidays in Flanders; and nearly 75,000 travelers are expected at the airport that day. These passengers are now living in uncertainty due to the announced national union action. Any future demonstrations in July, August, and September also risk severely impacting the airport and the sector once again, while the third quarter of the year is crucial for the aviation sector.
The airport and airlines continue to make every effort to correctly inform passengers as early as possible and minimize disruption. But let it be clear: the current pattern is not sustainable for a sector that is the country's second-largest economic engine and supporting 64,000 direct and indirect jobs. Don't let our passengers down again.
