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Louise Thomas
Editor
The end of September normally brings fewer problems for airline passengers – with the summer peak ending and carriers winding down their schedules, pressure on aviation in Europe and beyond is eased.
But air travellers will be faced with a range of issues from the start of October.
In Belgium, a national strike is scheduled for 1 October – with Brussels airport announcing no passenger flights will depart due to a walk-out by security staff.
Initially the airport thought around one in five flights could operator. But managers now say: “To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, the airlines, in consultation with Brussels airport, have decided not to operate any departing passenger flights on 1 October.
“The airlines are informing passengers directly of the cancellation of their flights. We ask passengers not to travel to the airport on 1 October.
“Arriving passenger flights may operate, but cancellations are likely. We advise all passengers who are scheduled to arrive at Brussels airport on 1 October to check the status of their flight with their airline or on our website.”
A Brussels Airlines spokesperson said: “Passengers whose flight is cancelled will be contacted by Brussels Airlines. The airline will offer an alternative flight schedule and will do its utmost to get everyone on their destination with the least possible delay. This can be a flight on an earlier departure date, a later date or the same day via another hub of Lufthansa Group.”
Brussels Airlines is a sister carrier to Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Swiss and Lufthansa.
October brings multiple other problems for air travellers, according to the latest bulletin from the Opsgroup.
The group, an international membership organisation for pilots and other aviation staff, has released its latest bulletin detailing the challenges.
- Madrid: One of the airport’s four runways will soon be closed for repairs for six weeks. Runway 14R/32L will close from 2 October to 12 November, meaning a reduction in movement capacity of around 25 percent.
- Mumbai: The airport will be completely closed from 11am to 5pm local time) on 17 October for pre-monsoon season runway maintenance.
- Singapore: Singapore airport will be closed for brief periods on 8 and 16 October for the annual military exercise Bersama Lima.
The Opsgroup also warns: “Lebanon’s CAA has announced a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies aboard civil aircraft until further notice.”
Read more: Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
