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A strike staged by baggage handlers on Monday caused major disruption at Brussels airport, including flight delays and cancellations, as passengers could neither check in nor collect their luggage.
The striking staff, working for Swissport Handling, walked out on the job on Sunday to demand reinforcements. The unions extended the strike action after a meeting with Swissport officials on Monday ended without an agreement.
Swissport is one of two companies that handle passenger luggage at the airport and is used by nearly 30 airlines, including German carrier Lufthansa and Belgium’s Brussels Airlines.
The airport advised affected passengers to leave their larger luggage at home and to travel only with hand baggage.
“There’s a lot of frustration among the passengers,” airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse said, as thousands of travellers queued at check-in counters.