A MAJOR airport has been hit by strike action with thousands of passengers facing cancelled strikes.
Ground handling group, Alyzia, are taking part in a national strike which affects airlines like Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Air Arabia and United Airlines.
The airport expects only half of the flights handled by Alyzia to operate as planned.
Brussels Airport said that airlines working with Alyzia have contacted passengers directly to inform them about the status of their flight and their options.
It added: “We regret the inconvenience caused by this union action.”
The strike action comes as workers protest against governmental policies.
According to FlightRadar which monitors movements of planes, Brussels Airport has had 103 cancellations today and 34 flights have been delayed.
As this strike is outside the control of individual airlines, it will be deemed an ‘extraordinary circumstance’, which means if your flight is cancelled you will not be entitled to compensation.
Public transport is also expected to be disrupted in Brussels today too.
The good news for Brits is that flights handled by Aviapartner will not be affected.
This includes major airlines serving UK destinations such as British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Tui, and Wizz Air.
The airport told The Independent that around 400 flights will still operate as usual today.
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
Syrian Airlines unveiled its new visual identity in a ceremony at Damascus Airport, featuring a revamped colour scheme, modernised booking and payment platforms, and a mobile app launching in November.
Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026
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Mahan Air is excluded from the agreement as Baghdad says Washington granted its request for a waiver.
Published On 2 Oct 20262 Oct 2026
Iraq has agreed to let Iranian airlines, except Mahan Air, operate up to 40 flights a day to and from Najaf International Airport, saying the United States granted an exemption from its sanctions.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office announced the agreement on Friday, a day after Tehran urged Baghdad to lift restrictions that it said hurt pilgrims, patients, students and business.
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The deal eases the links between the two Shia-majority neighbours since Washington sanctioned Iran’s aviation sector last month.
Al-Zaidi welcomed the “positive response shown by the US government to Iraq’s efforts and its cooperation in granting the necessary exemption”, the statement from his office said.
“Air travel does not merely represent transportation between two airports, but rather a bridge of communication between peoples,” it added.
Separately, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the return of flights supports an Iraqi-US partnership premised on mutual respect.
Hussein also welcomed what he described as US understanding of the importance of respecting religious freedom and facilitating access for visitors to holy sites.
The US Treasury announced sanctions on September 8 against 36 entities linked to Iran’s aviation sector.
Foreign ground-handling companies then refused to service Iranian aircraft for fear of falling foul of US sanctions, and flights stopped at four Iraqi airports.
Soon after, Iraq’s government held direct talks with Washington, seeking an exemption.
Iraq’s ambassador to Tehran, Yasser al-Hajjaj, told Iran’s IRNA news agency that Baghdad had not ordered the halt in flights. The suspension also led to demonstrations outside Najaf airport and in Nasiriya, Karbala and Amarah, according to Iran’s Press TV.
Najaf is the main destination for Iranian flights in Iraq. Flights to and from the city carry Iraqi Shia Muslim pilgrims to Iran’s holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq.
Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, told the Iranian news agency ISNA that there were “roughly 25 daily flights from Iran to Najaf and about 15 flights to Baghdad” before the ban.
“Around 12,000 to 13,000 people travel between Iran and Iraq and vice versa on Iranian airlines, which is not a small number,” he added.
In a statement shared on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Washington’s “illegal and inhumane” extraterritorial enforcement of sanctions was disrupting Iran’s trade and air transport.
Flights between Najaf and Iran restarted late on Monday, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
However, flights with Iran are still suspended at Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports, forcing passengers into land journeys of at least 12 hours and disrupting pilgrim traffic.
Al Jazeera has not verified the exemption with representatives in Washington.
PARENTS will no longer be stung with rip-off fees just to sit next to their children on flights.
Airlines will be forced to seat under 14s beside a mum, dad or an accompanying adult for free.
It could save families up to £104 on a return trip.
Passengers will also be able to fix simple spelling mistakes on bookings without being hit with charges of up to £40.
PM Andy Burnham said: “People are fed up with these little charges that add up.
“So I’m putting a stop to them.”
“This is what our everyday fixes are all about.
“Giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out.
“They waste their time and cost them money.”
Ministers are also drawing up a system to help airlines identify repeat troublemakers.
It comes after more than 1,000 serious disruptive incidents were logged last year.
It could make it easier to extend bans on passengers who repeatedly cause issues.
Flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE suspended as part of broader efforts to enforce US aviation sanctions on Iran.
Published On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026
The United Arab Emirates has halted flights operated by Iranian airlines, joining several other countries in adopting United States sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran’s aviation sector.
On Thursday, a statement carried by the Emirati WAM news agency said, “The General Civil Aviation Authority announced the suspension of all flights operated by Iranian airlines to and from the UAE.”
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It said the decision was “based on the US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines preventing them from using airports around the world”.
The UAE has joined Oman, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan in restricting or suspending access for Iranian airlines amid the new US sanctions threat.
Dubai, the UAE’s commercial hub, is a major destination for Iranian carriers, with multiple daily flights, a large Iranian community and close business links.
An Iran Airtour flight from Tehran to Dubai was cancelled shortly before its scheduled departure on Thursday morning, after tickets had already been issued, according to the AFP news agency.
The UAE, which was repeatedly hit by Iranian missiles and drones throughout the US-Israel war on Iran, suspended trade and financial exchanges with Iran last month.
On Wednesday, the UAE’s central bank blocked transactions involving Iran’s Bank Melli, claiming the financial institution had violated rules on money laundering, terrorism and arms proliferation.
The US Treasury announced sweeping sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector earlier this month, targeting 27 airlines and dozens of companies that support them. The measures aim to cut off Iran’s air links entirely, warning that any airport or company still servicing Iranian carriers risks being cut off from the US dollar system.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Majid Akhavan said: “Diplomatic and aviation talks are under way to remove the restrictions and restore flights” to the UAE.
Akhavan added that Turkmenistan also turned back a flight from Tehran to Dushanbe on Thursday.
“Turkmenistan’s refusal to allow the Iranian aircraft to pass through its airspace meant the flight could not continue on its route and had to return,” Akhavan told the Iranian IRNA news agency.
Several smaller Iranian airlines continue flying to China and Armenia, both of which have resisted US pressure, while routes to Turkiye remain open for some carriers.
Scott Bessent says airports and companies servicing Iranian carriers risk being cut off from the US dollar system.
Published On 21 Sep 202621 Sep 2026
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Iranian airlines could effectively be shut out of international travel from Wednesday, as Washington threatens foreign companies with secondary sanctions if they continue servicing the country’s carriers.
“On September 23, all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world,” Bessent told CNBC on Monday.
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The warning is aimed not just at the airlines themselves, but at the airports, fuel suppliers, ticketing companies and other businesses they rely on to operate abroad.
“If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” Bessent said.
The threat marks the latest step in US President Donald Trump administration’s escalating economic campaign against Tehran, which has continued alongside the war between the US and Iran.
Earlier this month, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on all remaining Iranian airlines that had not already been targeted, as well as companies outside Iran accused of supporting the country’s aviation sector.
Iran’s aviation industry was already heavily constrained by years of US sanctions, which have made it difficult for carriers to buy new aircraft and obtain spare parts and maintenance services.
The measures are part of a much broader sanctions regime aimed at isolating Iran from the international financial system. US secondary sanctions threaten foreign companies that do business with Iran across sectors including energy, shipping, technology, gold and digital assets with penalties of their own.
Bessent’s comments came a day after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
China is one of Iran’s most important economic partners and diplomatic backers, making Beijing’s cooperation potentially significant to Washington’s efforts to financially isolate Tehran.
Bessent said Chinese officials had been “very engaged” in the US pressure campaign. Washington was holding what he described as positive talks with Chinese financial authorities, including People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng, about compliance with US sanctions on Iran.
THE world’s best airlines have been revealed – including the best budget carries in Europe.
Often dubbed the ‘Oscars of the aviation industry’, each year The Skytrax World Airline Awards awards the best airlines in each region and the world.
Around 300 airlines are included in the awards, which are voted on by millions of travellers from over 100 nationalities each year.
Coming out on top of the European list was Turkish Airlines.
The airline operates direct routes from six UK airports including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Flights head to destinations including Istanbul and Lagos, costing from £177 return.
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Coming in second place was Air France, which connects the UK to Paris, while Lufthansa came in third, who has flights from the UK to Germany from eight airports.
When it comes to budget airlines, Vueling was named the best in Europe with Wizz Air taking the top spot for the best low-cost airline in Central Europe.
As for UK airlines, they didn’t fair as well sadly.
Virgin Atlantic was named fifth in Europe and 18th in the world whereas British Airways was named seventh in Europe and 23rd overall.
Ryanair was then named the best low-cost airline in the UK while TUI Airways was named the best leisure airline in the UK.
The airline that came out on top across the whole globe was Singapore Airlines.
THESE are the best airlines in Europe according to the Skytrax Awards:
Singapore Airlines operates from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester airports.
The airline flies direct to Singapore Changi Airport, which is a major hub for connections to a number of destinations including Australia.
THESE are the top 10 airlines in the world, according to Skytrax:
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