Zaventem faces millions in claims

16 April 2007

BRUSSELS – Brussels Airlines is looking into how it can recover the damages caused by the strike last Friday from BAC, the company that manages the airport in Zaventem. The damages could run into millions of euro, the Standaard reports.

Brussels Airlines is not pleased with the financial impact of the strike that stopped all air traffic at Zaventem airport on Friday for nearly a whole day.

Brussels Airlines had to cancel 80 flights on Friday because of the strike by 40 workers of the security service and fire brigade in protest of the management by BAC (Brussels Airport Company). Many flights destined for Brussels had to be diverted to other airports.

“This resulted in a lot of extra costs,” says Geert Sciot of Brussels Airlines. “We had to pay for extra fuel for aircraft that had to land elsewhere and then fly into Brussels later. We also had to call in extra personnel to deal with stranded passengers at Zaventem, and dozens of crew members had to spend an extra night abroad. And we are losing income because people were able to demand a refund for their tickets.”

The airline spent EUR 95,000 to send an extra aircraft to Athens to pick up a stranded school group there.

The total amount has not yet been calculated, Sciot says, but it will come to “many hundreds of thousands of euro, if not millions.”

Brussels Airlines is investigating how it can recoup these costs from the company that operates the airport. “This company recently imposed a higher security tax on us, but there are no guarantees for service provision.”

The federal minister for mobility Renaat Landuyt (Socialist SP.A) wants to review BAC’s license after the strike. “BAC must be able to guarantee air traffic,” Landuyt said.

Subject: Belgian news