Maritime traffic in and out of the Port of Antwerp has been be suspended from 19:30 local time on Monday, 13 October, until 07:30 on Wednesday, 15 October.
As stated, the disruption is due to reduced staffing at the Zandvliet Traffic Control Centre during Belgium’s national strike on 14 October. Moreover, the Joint Nautical Authority has ordered a full stoppage in the Zandvliet sector of the River Scheldt to allow vessel movements to wind down safely before the closure takes effect.
This temporary halt follows ongoing industrial action by Flemish harbour pilots, who have been operating strictly within daytime hours since 5 October. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges previously reported that these limitations were already causing “a significant number of vessels [to be] delayed on both inbound and outbound traffic.”
As of 13 October, 93 vessels were in port without a confirmed schedule and 19 were reported delayed. All locks and bridges are functioning normally, with the exception of the Boudewijn Lock and the Zandvliet Lock, which are out of service.