June Employee Walkout Stranded More than 22,500 Pax

Ireland's low-cost airline Ryanair announced Tuesday it had reached an agreement with Brussels South Charleroi Airport over the weekend which addressed all concerns and allowed the airline to release all seats for sale beginning November 12.

The carrier wanted to make sure its passengers wouldn't suffer repeats of the wildcat strike in June, which stranded more than 22,500 passengers, according to the carrier.

As ANN reported, security staff walked off the job to protest plans to privatize security, saying it could raise costs and eliminate jobs. Ryanair, the airport's largest carrier, was forced to cancel all flights and called the workers' action "unlawful."

"The security staff withdrew their service (Friday) without notice and as a result no Ryanair staff or passengers (were) allowed to pass from landside to airside at Charleroi airport. The security staff... also prevented all Ryanair passengers from entering the terminal building at Charleroi," the carrier said at the time.

Ryanair said it welcomed the recent agreement reached between the Ministry of Transport and the public service unions which will guarantee that in future, any strikes will be accompanied by a minimum of 48 hours notice in order to allow passengers to make alternative arrangements.

The carrier has resumed negotiations with CRL about further growth and new route development now that the threat of future unannounced strikes has, for all intents and purposes, been removed. The primary concern of both carrier and airport was that 22,500 passengers would never again be stranded at Brussels Charleroi Airport.

FMI: www.ryanair.com, www.charleroi-airport.com