Weekend flights affected by fatality at Brussels Airport

Staff at LSG Sky Chefs at Brussels Airport have returned to work after downing tools on Saturday following an accident in which a colleague was killed. The man, employed as a driver, died after being struck on the tarmac by a truck from the company that was backing up.

The accident took place around 7.00 on Saturday, while it was still dark. Flights on Saturday were delayed as staff, which provide meals for flights, stopped work “because they were too shocked to carry on working,” a union representative said. “Some were witnesses to the accident.” Because of the police investigation, the man’s body remained on the tarmac for several hours.

LSG Sky Chefs, wholly owned by the German airline Lufthansa, prepares meals for airline passengers and delivers them to the planes at the gates. A number of long-haul flights from Brussels Airport were delayed while other arrangements were made. “We are trying everything to make sure passengers have something to eat and drink,” Brussels Airlines spokesman Geert Sciot said. “We are buying snacks in the airport to hand out on flights and advising passengers to have something to eat and drink before boarding.”

On Sunday, flights had returned to normal. Drivers too emotional to return to work were being given psychological counselling. And unions and management agreed to meet to review safety procedures at the airport, including improved lighting.

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