Brussels Airlines Staff Threaten Strike Over Tel Aviv Flights, ACV Puls Says

ACV Puls filed a strike notice effective September 1, 2026, after Brussels Airlines moved to assign regular crews to its Tel Aviv route instead of relying only on volunteers. The union said the action would affect flights to and from Tel Aviv בלבד.

The notice took effect immediately. It does not cover the carrier’s wider network.

Jolinde Defieuw, a representative of the union, cited concerns among employees about the route’s security and wider implications.

“There are serious concerns among employees regarding physical safety, as well as the psychological and ethical impact of the flights.”

The union also said it would back workers who decline assignments to what it calls a war zone. The dispute follows a temporary staffing arrangement used during the summer.

The union says mandatory rosters break a volunteer-only understanding

The airline restarted service to Israel on a trial basis with volunteer crew. ACV Puls said the company had agreed that Tel Aviv operations would use volunteer personnel only.

Management has now returned to standard crew planning. That change, the union says, breaks the earlier understanding by requiring assigned staff to operate the route.

The union’s objections combine workplace safety with ethical and psychological concerns. It also points to guidance from the Belgian Foreign Ministry advising against non-essential travel to Israel.

Jolinde Defieuw described the action as narrowly focused. She said, “The disruptions will be limited exclusively to flights to and from Tel Aviv.”

That limitation keeps the threatened disruption separate from other destinations in the airline’s schedule. It also places the dispute directly on the route linking Brussels with Ben Gurion International Airport.

The airline says the volunteer trial operated successfully

The carrier said its summer flights staffed by volunteers “operated successfully.” It said that result allowed management to return to ordinary schedule planning.

“resume the usual procedure for the preparation of flight schedules.”

The airline also said it would continue monitoring security conditions and change its procedures if necessary. Its statement said it would “closely monitor the situation on the ground” and “adjust” operations when needed.

The position reflects a different assessment of the summer trial. Management treats the volunteer operation as a workable bridge back to normal rosters, while the union sees the return of mandatory assignments as a breach of the staffing arrangement.

The airline’s approach follows Lufthansa Group practice for monitoring Middle East operations. Security conditions remain part of the company’s stated operating process.

One weekly service was listed for September

The Lufthansa Group’s Middle East schedule listed one weekly service on the route, operating every Wednesday. It also showed some Lufthansa Group frequency increases planned from September 2026.

The threatened action applies to flights with Tel Aviv as their origin or destination. It does not extend across the carrier’s network.

That narrow scope does not resolve the crew question. The union says employees may refuse assignments and receive its support.

“ACV Puls will support any employee who refuses to fly to a war zone.”

The next operational test will come through the crew rosters issued for the route. A schedule built with mandatory assignments could prompt the targeted action, while a return to volunteer staffing would address the union’s stated objection.

The airline resumed the route after the summer volunteer trial, but the staffing dispute remains tied to every future assignment. The current schedule’s Wednesday service gives the conflict a recurring point of pressure.