Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has stepped in to help minimize the impact of a series of scheduled strikes involving air traffic control operators, handlers, and security personnel across Belgium.

The hub said flights are being redirected to MST following the disruption that will see the aviation sector grounded in Belgium on February 14.

The Netherlands' second-largest air cargo hub is ready to accommodate the additional passenger and cargo flights already planned, with MST equipped to handle more flights as needed based on demand.

National strikes across Belgium planned for Thursday, February 13, have caused major disruption to passenger and cargo flights, with no flights planned to take off from or land at Belgian airports, including Brussels and Liège.

"We are proud of our team's effort to prepare for situations like this and move so quickly to make sure our airport is prepared to operate passenger and cargo flights at short notice," said Joost Meijs, CEO, Maastricht Aachen Airport.

"Our resilience and strong operational performance, we know, are reasons that we adapt to conditions and make sure we provide smooth operations and experience for the cargo carriers and passenger flights we welcome – our excellent location and transport links mean that disruption should be minimal for both passengers and cargo shipments."

Ethiopian Cargo has also announced that it will be operating additional flights to MST in the coming weeks.

MST recorded an on-time performance rate of over 98% for cargo handling last year, demonstrating efficient cargo processing at the airport. The industry standard for good performance is 95%.