Some 140 arriving and departing flights at Brussels Airport face cancellation or disruption on Friday, Oct. 9, as employees of ground handler Alyzia join a nationwide labor action in Belgium.

Brussels Airport said approximately half of the flights handled by Alyzia are currently expected to operate as planned. The remainder face cancellation, according to Belgian media tallies of roughly 140 affected arrivals and departures.

The exposure is concentrated in one of the airport's two ground handling providers. Alyzia supplies baggage handling, ramp operations, aircraft cleaning, deicing and cargo and mail transport for a number of carriers at Brussels.

Which airlines are affected?

Brussels Airlines is among the carriers expected to bear the disruption. Local reports indicate approximately 40 percent of its flights will be affected by the strike.

Airlines that contract with Alyzia are contacting affected passengers directly with information on flight status and alternative arrangements. Brussels Airport said cancellations will appear in its online flight overview once individual airlines register them — a lag that means the early-morning flight board on Oct. 9 may understate the final cancellation count.

What about the airport's other handler?

No impact is currently expected for flights handled by Aviapartner, Brussels Airport's other ground handling provider. Carriers using Aviapartner should operate normally, containing the disruption to the Alyzia customer base.

The airport itself is not the target of the action. Alyzia staff are participating in a broader nationwide labor action in Belgium rather than an airport-specific dispute.

Is more disruption coming?

A separate public-sector labor action is planned for Monday, Oct. 12. Brussels Airport currently expects no impact on air traffic from that action, though passengers flying that day should monitor airline notifications given the volatility of Belgian strike participation rates.

For Oct. 9, the practical consequences are concentrated on one handler's operations: with half of Alyzia-handled flights at risk and Brussels Airlines facing a 40 percent disruption rate, passengers on affected carriers should expect rebooking communications and check the airport's flight overview before travelling.