Brussels Airlines plans to resume operating one to two daily flights to Tel Aviv starting in September. Unlike in the past, the airline no longer wants to rely exclusively on volunteers for these flights and instead intends to require staff to work them through the standard scheduling process.
According to the ACV Puls union, Brussels Airlines is thereby breaking previous agreements with the unions. To increase the pressure, the union filed a strike notice on September 1. But it didn’t come to that. During talks between management and the unions last week, it was agreed that pilots and flight attendants can still refuse to operate flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Back to a normal flight schedule
Since August 1, Brussels Airlines has once again been flying to Tel Aviv at least once a week. However, these flights were initially operated exclusively by volunteers – staff who were either in training or held administrative positions. Many permanent crew members had refused to fly the route due to safety concerns, regional unrest, and the ethical implications of these flights.
But as of this month, Brussels Airlines has resumed service on the route with about 11 to 12 flights per week. It has also reverted to its standard scheduling procedure, which means that staff are no longer assigned solely voluntarily but can be scheduled just like at any other destination – that is, on a mandatory basis.
Industrial action may follow
However, ACV Puls believes that mandatory deployment, in the current context of the ongoing war and genocide in Gaza, not only violates previous agreements with the union but also conflicts with the employer’s responsibility to protect its staff from health and safety risks.
Consequently, the union has issued a strike notice. If Brussels Airlines does not reverse its decision, industrial action may follow. “Any disruption will be limited exclusively to flights to and from Tel Aviv,” says ACV Puls, which clearly states that it will protect any employee who does not wish to fly to a war zone.
Still a conflict zone
The union also disputes Brussels Airlines’ assessment that the situation is safe enough to resume flights. It cites the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, which continues to highlight the volatile security situation and advises against all non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem. ACV Puls is calling on the government to take a clear stance on commercial flights to conflict zones and on the protection of the personnel involved.
Brussels Airlines itself emphasizes that safety is always the top priority. “Together with the other airlines in the Lufthansa Group, we continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely and are prepared to adjust our procedures at any time, should that be necessary,” the airline said.
Unfit to fly procedure
On Thursday, there was a meeting to discuss the issue. “We took the time to listen to and address all concerns regarding the safety of our flights to Tel Aviv,” said Nico Cardone, spokesperson for Brussels Airlines.
Indeed, flights are currently being scheduled as usual, “but there are procedures in the aviation industry that allow crew members to be excused from a flight if they are not feeling well mentally,” a condition known as ‘unfit to fly.’ “We have emphasized that our colleagues can use that procedure as always without fear of repercussions,” said Cardone.
The union has responded positively to the outcome of the talks, but at the same time, ACV Puls remains “critical of the government’s stance.” “The government is not taking its responsibilities seriously enough. As far as we’re concerned, under the current circumstances, there should be no commercial flights to Tel Aviv,” the union states.
KLM and Air France are flying to Tel Aviv
The Israel issue extends beyond just Brussels Airlines. KLM, for example, has also faced similar concerns in the past, but flights to and from Tel Aviv have resumed since August 25. However, these flights include a stopover in Larnaca, Cyprus, where the crew is changed so they do not have to spend the night in Tel Aviv.
Air France also went through a turbulent period with repeated extensions of the suspension. Still, it resumed service on the route as early as the beginning of July, with a daily flight from Paris to Tel Aviv. Air France was back on the route relatively early compared to some other European airlines.
British Airways has suspended the route until at least October 25, the end of the summer season. Starting then, it plans to resume the route with a reduced service of one flight per day.
The problem hardly arises in the same way with Arab Gulf Airlines. Etihad (Abu Dhabi) remained relatively active on the route and even expanded it, while Emirates withdrew completely from it.
