BRUSSELS, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Brussels South Charleroi Airport decided to close its doors on Tuesday and cancel all departing flights until Wednesday, following a strike staged on Monday by the contracted security agency's staff.
Five police officers present at the scene were injured on Tuesday after passengers tried to force entry, several union representatives reported.
The strike began on Monday following disputes between the workers' unions and the airport group BCSA Security, the online media 7 sur 7 said.
The contracted security agency Security Master's staff have blamed BCSA Security's decision to award contracts for passenger security checks to two operators instead of one.
The strike by Security Master staff caused heavy disruptions, leading to cancellation of all flights departing from the airport.
However, arriving flights have not been affected.
Several airlines have decided to divert their flights departing from Belgium to Brussels Zaventem Airport.
Located about 45 km south of the capital, Brussels South Charleroi Airport is Belgium's second-largest airport. It mainly serves budget airlines, in particular Ryanair. ■
