Belgium's Looming Standstill: A Nation Prepares for Widespread Strike Chaos

Belgium is on the absolute brink of what’s set to be a truly disruptive three-day national strike, kicking off this coming Monday, November 24, 2025. Honestly, if you've got travel plans involving Belgium during that period, it might be time for a serious rethink. The country is preparing for significant parts of daily life to grind to a halt.

This isn’t just a minor industrial action; it’s a nationwide outcry. Major trade unions—we’re talking CSC, FGTB, and CGSLB—are orchestrating this general strike to protest the relentless squeeze of soaring energy bills and a stubbornly high cost-of-living crisis that’s hitting households hard. People are genuinely feeling the pinch, and they are making their voices heard, very loudly.

The impact on aviation is going to be pretty stark. Brussels Airport, normally a bustling international hub, is bracing for what they expect to be a near-complete shutdown of all outgoing flights. Imagine that – an entire capital city’s airport effectively grounded. Major carriers, from the budget-friendly Ryanair to Belgium's own Brussels Airlines, have already started warning passengers to check their flight status or, even better, just postpone their journeys. Now, there’s a small glimmer of hope if you're flying TUI; they might manage to operate some services from regional airports, but even that comes with a big "if."

But it's not just the skies; the tracks are set to fall silent too. Belgium’s national railway company, SNCB, is predicting widespread and frankly, massive disruption across its network. This means not just local train services, which will likely be severely affected, but also international lines like the high-speed Thalys and Eurostar could feel a significant ripple effect. So, if your travel itinerary includes getting around by rail within Belgium or connecting through it, expect monumental challenges.

And let’s be clear, the disruption isn't stopping at planes and trains. This is, after all, a general strike. That means public transport systems—your daily buses, trams, and metros—are also expected to be severely hampered, if not entirely unavailable in many areas. Beyond that, the strike could impact a whole host of other sectors: schools, public services like post offices, waste collection, and while essential services in hospitals typically maintain minimum staffing, expect delays and a general slowdown there too. For these three days, life in Belgium is simply going to look, and feel, very different.

The unequivocal advice for anyone planning to travel to, from, or even within Belgium between November 24th and 26th, 2025, is to prepare for the worst. Anticipate significant delays, widespread cancellations, and a general atmosphere of travel chaos. Your best bet? Reach out to your airline, train operator, or travel provider well in advance of your scheduled departure. And if you have the flexibility, rescheduling your trip might just save you a lot of stress and frustration. It's one of those situations where being prepared really is half the battle.