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Crisis update: disruption due to national strike day

2025-04-28

Crisis update: disruption due to national strike day

Another national strike day will take place on Tuesday 29 April. Disruption is also expected in the port of Antwerp-Bruges. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you up to date with the latest information via this page. Subscribe to stay updated.

Update 30/04/2025 - 15:00

Most ships have since been scheduled to sail up or down again.

Of the 56 vessels sailing and/or waiting towards Antwerp, 45 are scheduled (until tomorrow), 11 vessels have yet to be scheduled.
Of the 55 sailing and/or waiting vessels for departure from Antwerp, 37 are scheduled (until tomorrow), 8 vessels still have to be scheduled.

We are adjusting the vessel schedule based on the available chain capacity. Because of high demand, there is currently a shortage of sea and river pilots. As a result, a handful of vessels still have no prospect of a time of embarkation or disembarkation. All chain partners are making the necessary efforts to restore normal shipping traffic as soon as possible.

Unless major changes happen in the coming hours or days, this is the concluding update.

Antwerp 30/04/2025 - 08:00

The Zandvliet operating area has been back in operation since 07:30 this morning.

There are currently 92 ships waiting:

In Antwerp, 59 ships are waiting to sail out of the port
On the North Sea, 33 vessels are waiting to enter Antwerp

The nautical chain was ramped up during the night. Inbound, meanwhile, 6 ocean-going vessels sailed on the Scheldt towards Antwerp. All locks were filled in preparation to start the outbound traffic from the end of the imposed blockage. Shipping traffic meanwhile got underway. Vessels from the tidal terminals can depart according to the optimised schedule. Maximum available lock capacity is offered to inland navigation.

Elimination of all accumulated delays is expected to continue until Friday.

Zeebrugge 30/04/2025 - 08:00

Shipping traffic is running normally.

Antwerp 29/04/2025 - 20:30

Disruption to shipping in Antwerp continues to increase. There are currently 87 ships waiting:

In Antwerp, 48 ships are waiting to leave the port
On the North Sea, 39 ships are waiting, all heading for Antwerp.

Port Authority lock personnel and tug services are working at full capacity overnight. Shipping traffic to and from Antwerp will be started up in phases tomorrow so that chain capacity is not overloaded. Lock capacity will also be provided for inland navigation to start up simultaneously with seagoing traffic.

The Port Authority will systematically release locks as from 10 p.m. this evening. Only tomorrow will we effectively carry out the locks, in order to respect the imposed shipping stoppage on the Scheldt. This will last until tomorrow, 30 April, at 07:30.

Please respect the current procedures regarding registration and booking of the locks for inland navigation.

Zeebrugge 29/04/2025 - 20:30

Still shipping to and from Zeebrugge remains possible. Ships can pass at the locks.

Antwerp 29/04/2025 - 14:30

Disruption caused by strike action continues to mount. Currently there are 74 ships waiting. In Antwerp, 38 vessels are waiting to leave the port. On the North Sea, 36 vessels are waiting, all heading for Antwerp.

The disruption will continue until tomorrow morning. Afterwards, we will start working to clear the backlog smoothly and safely. This is expected to take one to two days.

Zeebrugge 29/04/2025 - 14:30

Shipping to and from Zeebrugge remains possible. Ships will be operated at the locks: entry and exit will be bundled.

Antwerp 29/04/2025 - 10:00

Disruption caused by strike action continues to mount. The Antwerp port area remains completely blocked. Meanwhile, 25 vessels are waiting to depart from Antwerp; 31 are waiting to enter the port.

The Port Authority's operational services are quasi-full. The locks are fully manned, the tug services are working at 90% occupancy. Traffic control within the docks and inland navigation services at the Oosterweel works remain active.

The disruption will continue until tomorrow morning. Afterwards, we will start working to clear the backlog smoothly and safely. This is expected to take one to two days.

Zeebrugge 29/04/2025 - 10:00

Shipping to and from Zeebrugge remains possible. Ships will be operated at the locks: entry and exit will be bundled.

Antwerp 28/04/2025 - 20:30

Due to industrial action, there is currently very strong disruption to shipping to and from Antwerp. The up- and downstream is completely blocked for both sea and inland navigation. There are currently 16 seagoing vessels waiting. In Antwerp, 4 sea-going vessels are waiting to leave the port; on the North Sea, 12 sea-going vessels are waiting, all heading for Antwerp.

The Port Authority's tug service is 100% operational, as are all locks. Because of the action at Traffic Control Center Zandvliet and the forced stoppage that followed, no ships can enter or leave the port area. In other words, there is no nautical activity, with the exception of the bringing in of the last barges from the Scheldt to the docks and some shedding on both banks.

Zeebrugge 28/04/2025 - 20:30

Shipping to and from Zeebrugge is currently possible. The Zeebrugge Traffic Centre (MDK) is operational and the locks are also operated.

Antwerp 28/04/2025 - 15:30

Due to industrial action at the Traffic Control Center Zandvliet (MDK), shipping traffic to and from Antwerp will be blocked from tonight at 19h30 until Wednesday at 07h30. This afternoon at 13h, the GNA started to align the embarking vessels to Antwerp with the planned stoppage in order to gradually halt shipping traffic by 19h30 this evening. The sailing permits will also be aligned to this union action.

To respect the imposed stoppage, shipping - both sea and inland - cannot pass the locks towards the Scheldt during this time period.

In the coming hours, we will have more insight into the impact of the strike on our own services such as bridges, locks and towing.

Zeebrugge 28/04/2025 - 15:30

Subject to further union action by partners, it looks like shipping traffic will be possible next night shift. We will reassess the situation around 7.30pm tonight.