Brussels airport strike: Flights cancelled as air-traffic controllers stage sudden walkout

A sudden strike by air-traffic controllers has closed Brussels airport. The industrial action by staff working for the air-navigation provider, Skeyes, began at 9.30am local time and will continue to 1pm. The airport in the Belgian capital has been closed. Many flights have been cancelled, and others heavily delayed. Brussels Airlines flights to Birmingham and Heathrow are among dozens of cancelled departures, along with the inbound services. Earlier this month hundreds of flights were cancelled due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. A4E--based in Brussels--has called for minimum notice of industrial action, saying: “A4E supports a 72-hour individual notification requirement for controllers wishing to strike, to improve the predictability of disruption.” <br/>