Strike halves number of Brussels Airlines flights

A 24-hour crew members’ strike at Brussels Airlines on Monday halved the number of flights operated by the Belgian subsidiary of Lufthansa, the company said.

The stoppage, called last week despite legal action by the airline to head it off, forced 57 flights out of a scheduled 116 to be grounded, Brussels Airlines spokeswoman Kim Daenen told AFP.

The airline prioritised keeping long-haul services flying.

Around a quarter of ticketed passengers were affected. They were informed and offered alternative arrangements or refunded, Daenen said.

The striking crew workers were protesting over collective labour agreements not being respected and “unsustainable hours”, said an official from the CNE union, Didier Lebbe.

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