Brussels Airlines strike notice targets Tel Aviv flights, not the wider network

Updated 3 September 2026, morning — Brussels. The Christian trade union ACV Puls has activated a strike notice at Brussels Airlines after the carrier placed Tel Aviv flights in normal crew schedules from 1 September. No strike has begun, no date for industrial action has been announced and the airline’s wider network is operating normally, according to ACV Puls statements reported by BX1 and The Brussels Times.

A Brussels Airlines service left Brussels Airport for Tel Aviv as scheduled on Wednesday, 2 September, despite the dispute, BX1 reported. The union says some cabin crew members operated the flight against their wishes because they feared disciplinary consequences. Brussels Airlines says employees were informed of the scheduling change several weeks earlier and disputes whether the union followed the proper procedure for its notice, according to BX1.

The dispute concerns crew assignments rather than pay or the airline’s entire flight programme. Brussels Airlines initially operated its restored Tel Aviv service with volunteers and qualified management staff, BRUZZ reported. The company says those flights ran successfully and that normal rostering can therefore resume. It also says safety remains its highest priority and that it monitors conditions with the other Lufthansa Group airlines, according to The Brussels Times.

ACV Puls rejects that assessment. The union argues that employees with safety, psychological or conscientious objections must remain free to refuse the route without financial or professional penalties. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs ministry continues to advise against non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem because of the volatile regional security situation, according to its travel guidance last updated on 1 July.

For holidaymakers, the immediate risk is narrower than the strike notice’s headline suggests. ACV Puls has said any action will apply exclusively to flights to and from Tel Aviv. There is no confirmed threat to Brussels Airlines services to other holiday destinations, and no evidence at present of a network-wide stoppage resembling previous large aviation strikes.

Management and union representatives were due to meet on Thursday morning, BX1 reported. Their central task is to decide whether Tel Aviv duties remain part of ordinary rosters or return to a voluntary arrangement. Passengers booked on that route should monitor their booking and Brussels Airlines notifications. If a flight is cancelled, EU rules require the carrier to offer reimbursement or rerouting and assistance; eligibility for additional compensation depends on the circumstances and notice given, according to the EU’s Your Europe portal.