Weekend Sees End of Brussels Airport Strike

Brussels International Airport is open once again following two days of strikes by security personnel and firefighters forcing the airport to cancel all incoming and departing flights. Weekend negotiations between the unions and airport officials led to an agreement late Saturday. Four U.S.-based carriers operate direct flights into and out of Brussels Airport-American, Continental, Delta and United. A spokesperson for Continental told Travel Agent on Monday that all flights were operating normally, though a representative from the Belgian Tourist Office in New York suggested confirming flights before traveling into or out of the city. The airport closed indefinitely on Friday for safety reasons, because no firefighters were available to stand by on the airport's tarmac. Meanwhile, European flights to the airport were redirected to other Belgian airports, with intercontinental flights sent to Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Paris. The unions staged the strike in protest over alleged poor treatment from management.