The airport said that a strike by Ryanair pilots in Belgium in an ongoing dispute over working conditions had canceled 96 flights to and from Charleroi this weekend. The Irish budget airline’s flight schedule from the southern city to destinations around Europe has been severely impacted at a time when travel bookings for the summer are already above pre-pandemic levels and soaring as energy prices rise amid supply concerns linked to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine. The pilots – represented by trade unions CNE and ACV Puls and by the Beca flying association – had given Ryanair until Friday to develop a satisfactory proposal before launching a walkout. They want a return to previous pay rates cut by 20 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airport’s management told AFP that the industrial action would affect 17,000 passengers due to leaving or landing in the southern city this weekend, around 28 percent of the expected number of travelers. Airlines that use crews based outside of Belgium, such as the Dutch airline KLM, will continue to operate normally, as will flights from the city’s other two airports, including Brussels International and Charleroi-Belgium South.
Passengers affected by the cancellations can bring forward their flights to another day or delay them until Monday, 31 July, or Tuesday, 1 August next week. They will also be offered a full refund. The airline says it is “disappointed that a small number of customers will be disappointed by the need for this unnecessary pilot action.”
A union spokesman said the airline’s proposals were unacceptable: “Ryanair wants to maintain and impose 20% pay cuts on its Belgian pilots while maintaining and increasing its profits and bonuses.” He added the company had not offered the same compensation for pilots that it has offered in other European countries where the strikes are taking place.
The airline has warned that the industrial action could continue until the end of the year if no deal is reached. It has asked the unions to meet for talks in the coming weeks but has refused to give a date for such a meeting. The airline has accused the unions of “regressive and disruptive tactics.”
In a statement, the Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, called the strikes by the Belgian pilots “unnecessary.” He said the airline was making a good profit, with passenger numbers up more than 30 percent compared to last year. He said the airline would continue its efforts to reach a satisfactory agreement with the Belgian pilots’ unions. The company has also asked the Belgian government for help resolving the dispute. The country’s top labor official urged both sides to compromise and avoid a damaging strike that will hit the tourism industry. He said it could cost the economy tens of thousands of jobs and a further loss of confidence in Belgium as a tourist destination. The airline’s shares were down 1.35 percent in early trading on Wednesday.
