All Flights to Belgium Canceled for 24 Hours

Nobody is going to be flying in or out of Belgium on Wednesday—at least not on commercial aircraft. All flights have been canceled for 24 hours amid a general strike by public transport workers, whose unions are calling for wage increases and have rejected a proposal of a 0.8% increase for the next two years, the BBC reports. The Skeyes air traffic control agency says it had to close the country's airspace because it could not determine how many controllers would show up for work. Flights above 24,600 feet are controlled by a Europe-wide agency and will not have to detour around the country. The strike is also affecting buses, trains, police, and hospitals, Deutsche Welle reports. NATO says a Wednesday meeting of defense ministers in Brussels will not be affected. (More Belgium stories.)