Belgian trade union ACV Puls filed a strike notice that took effect Tuesday, September 1, 2026, after Brussels Airlines moved Tel Aviv flights from volunteer staffing back onto the normal crew roster. The Brussels Times published the union press release and the airline’s reply the same day.
This is not a network-wide walkout. The union says any industrial action would be limited to flights to and from Tel Aviv, and it has not named strike dates.
Travelers using the Brussels Airlines terminal at JFK for other routes can ignore this dispute. Anyone booked on the Israel pair should reconfirm the flight before leaving for the airport.
- What changed: ACV Puls filed a strike notice effective September 1, 2026, over mandatory Tel Aviv crew assignments.
- Scope: The union says any action would hit only Brussels Airlines flights to and from Tel Aviv.
- Strike dates: None announced. The notice authorizes action. It does not cancel a published bank of flights.
- Airline stance: Brussels Airlines says volunteer staffing was a restart phase and standard rostering has resumed.
- Traveler step: Recheck SN3289 and SN3290 in the app the night before and again before you leave for the airport.
What the strike notice does, and what it does not
In Belgian labor practice, a strike notice, or stakingsaanzegging, is the formal step that allows a union to call action after the effective date. ACV Puls set that date at September 1.
The filing is real. It is not the same thing as a published list of cancelled departures.
Aviation24.be reported the same notice and said no specific strike dates have been announced. Until the union names days, or the airline publishes a cancellation file, the honest reading is a watch, not a grounded route.
Jolinde Defieuw of ACV Puls said any disruption would be limited exclusively to flights to and from Tel Aviv. She also said the union would protect employees who do not want to fly that pairing.
Other Brussels Airlines European and African routes sit outside that statement. Treat SN3289 and SN3290 as the flights that can move, and treat a Brussels to Madrid or New York ticket as a different checklist unless the airline later widens the notice.
Why ACV Puls filed, and what Brussels Airlines says
The union says Brussels Airlines had agreed that Tel Aviv operations would use volunteer crews after the route returned this summer. ACV Puls now says the airline is assigning staff through the normal roster because there are not enough volunteers.
Defieuw said staff have serious concerns about physical safety and about the mental and ethical impact of the flights. The union argues that compulsory assignments conflict with an employer’s duty to protect workers.
It also points to Belgium’s advice against non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem. Belgium’s FPS Foreign Affairs still advises against non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem.
That advisory is a government travel product, not a Brussels Airlines cancellation order. The union is using it as workplace context, and the airline is not required to copy it into the timetable.
Brussels Airlines said safety remains its highest priority. The carrier said Tel Aviv flights resumed during the summer, ran with volunteers in the first weeks, and can now return to standard duty-roster procedures.
It also said it keeps monitoring conditions with other Lufthansa Group airlines and can change procedures if the security picture requires it. Ynet News independently reported the same notice, the volunteer-to-roster shift, and the airline’s safety reply.
Which Brussels to Tel Aviv flights sit in the window
Brussels Airlines still sells the route. Its Tel Aviv destination page lists nonstop SN3289 from Brussels at 09:45, arriving Ben Gurion at 15:15, and SN3290 back from Tel Aviv at 16:15, arriving Brussels at 20:05, on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the current display.
The page also flags that the schedule changes regularly. Block times are about 4 hours 30 minutes westbound and about 4 hours 50 minutes eastbound, so one cancelled rotation on this thin pair is a missed day rather than a two-hour slip.
If you hold SN3289 or SN3290 this week, the useful move is a status check, not a panic rebook. A ticket that still shows as scheduled in the Brussels Airlines app is still the plan until that status changes.
Connecting passengers should act sooner. A morning Brussels departure that does not go leaves a same-day Tel Aviv inbound and any onward hotel transfer hanging.
Other carriers are restoring Israel flying on their own clocks. Deep Arrival’s coverage of Delta’s daily JFK to Tel Aviv restart on September 6 is a separate stream, and a Delta ticket does not inherit this ACV Puls notice.
How to protect a Brussels-Tel Aviv booking
Start with the airline channel, not a screenshot of this notice. Open the Brussels Airlines app or manage-booking page and confirm SN3289 or SN3290 still shows as scheduled.
Screenshot the current status with the timestamp visible. Do that the night before and again before you leave for Zaventem or Ben Gurion.
If the flight is cancelled by the airline, EU261 rules can apply on a Brussels-origin itinerary, including re-routing or reimbursement depending on the delay. Keep the booking reference and any cancellation email the airline issues.
Do not assume a travel insurer will treat a strike notice as a covered cancellation before a flight is actually cancelled. Many policies exclude strikes you already knew about, and this notice has been public since September 1.
If you still need to be in Tel Aviv or Brussels on a named day, look at same-day alternatives only after your SN flight is at risk. Lufthansa Group sister airlines may still operate their own Tel Aviv banks, which are different tickets and different disruption rules.
What remains unresolved for travelers
The largest gap is dates. ACV Puls can call action after September 1, but it has not said which rotations it would touch.
Brussels Airlines has not said it will reverse the rostering change. Either side can still settle without a cancelled bank.
The union has also framed the dispute around security and conscience, not only pay. Your job as a traveler is the flight status, not the argument.
A prior restart attempt is part of the union’s file. The Brussels Times notes that a rocket struck the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport shortly before a scheduled departure during an earlier return, which is history the union is citing, not a current runway closure.
Watch three surfaces: ACV Puls or Belgian papers for named action days, the Brussels Airlines booking status for SN3289 and SN3290, and Belgium’s Israel advisory if you are deciding whether the trip itself is still essential.
| If you are | What to do |
|---|---|
| Holding SN3289 or SN3290 this week | Keep the ticket. Recheck the app tonight and before you leave. Do not no-show. |
| Connecting to Tel Aviv through Brussels | Add buffer or a refundable transfer. One missed SN rotation can drop a full day. |
| Flying other Brussels Airlines routes | The union says those flights are outside this notice. Recheck only if the airline widens it. |
| Choosing whether to visit Israel at all | Use Belgium’s non-essential travel advisory, not this labor filing, as the trip-level test. |
| Waiting for named strike days | Stay on the booking. Rebook only after a cancellation, a delay file, or a dated walkout notice. |
- Named action days: ACV Puls has not published a walkout calendar. That is the item that turns a watch into a rebook.
- Roster reversal: If Brussels Airlines restores volunteer-only Tel Aviv staffing, the notice can cool without a cancelled bank.
- SN3289 and SN3290 status: Trust the manage-booking page over social posts about a strike.
- Scope creep: The current statement is Tel Aviv only. A wider Brussels Airlines notice would be a new traveler decision.
- Belgium’s Israel advisory: Still advises against non-essential travel. Recheck it if your trip is optional.
For now, the September 1 notice is a live labor file on a thin Brussels to Tel Aviv pair, not a grounded airline. Keep the ticket, keep the app open, and wait for a dated action or a cancellation email before you spend money on a replacement.
Did Brussels Airlines cancel Tel Aviv flights on September 1?
No. ACV Puls filed a strike notice that took effect September 1, 2026, and the airline has not published a cancellation file or named strike dates.
Which Brussels Airlines flights could be affected?
The union says any industrial action would be limited to flights to and from Tel Aviv. The current nonstop pair in the airline’s destination display is SN3289 from Brussels and SN3290 from Tel Aviv.
Will other Brussels Airlines routes be struck?
ACV Puls said disruption would be limited exclusively to Tel Aviv flights. Other European, African, and long-haul Brussels Airlines routes are outside that statement unless a later notice widens the scope.
Should I still go to the airport?
Yes, if your booking still shows as scheduled. Recheck the Brussels Airlines app before you leave, and do not no-show a live flight because of a strike notice that has no dates.
Does Belgium still advise against travel to Israel?
Yes. FPS Foreign Affairs continues to advise against non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem, which is separate from the ACV Puls strike notice on Brussels Airlines crew assignments.
