The availability of skeyes air traffic controllers reformed to extend careers

King Philippe signed a royal decree on August 30, 2026, amending the availability scheme with waiting pay for air traffic controllers employed by the autonomous public enterprise skeyes. The text, referenced [C − 2026/006472], is published in the Belgian Official Gazette of September 7, 2026, page 49107, under the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport.

The decree amends the royal decree of April 23, 2017, which determined the conditions for granting availability with waiting pay and pre-retirement leave. The objective is to bring the scheme into alignment with federal pension reforms and the general evolution toward a society where people work longer.

A scheme adapted to a critical function

Air traffic controllers perform an essential function for safety, subject to strict operational and medical fitness requirements. The safe management of air traffic permanently requires a high level of cognitive performance, concentration, stress resistance, and medical fitness, which may force these agents to terminate their operational duties before the legal retirement age.

Maintaining an adapted availability scheme therefore remains necessary to reconcile aviation safety requirements with adequate social protection. At the same time, the federal pension reform limits the consideration of certain periods of availability for the calculation of a pension, which justifies a rebalancing of the system.

Progressive waiting pay

The new scheme aims to encourage air traffic controllers to remain in operational roles longer by varying the waiting pay based on when the availability is taken and the seniority acquired. The waiting pay is set as follows:

• 60% of the last active salary for the basic scheme;
• 65% for agents placed on availability at the earliest P-4 years;
• 70% for those placed on availability at the earliest P-3 years;
• 80% for those placed on availability at the earliest P-2 years.

The waiting pay is increased by 1%, up to a maximum of 5%, for each year of service beyond twenty years in the relevant grades. The term “P” corresponds to the day the official reaches the minimum age of 57 years (58 years starting from 2027) and meets the conditions for early retirement.

A transitional scheme for 2027-2028

The decree also accelerates the increase in the age at which availability may be taken: the age of 58 completed years is brought forward from January 1, 2030, to January 1, 2027. For civil servants placed on availability between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2028, a transitional regime temporarily raises the ceiling for the seniority increase from 5% to 10%, provided that the waiting salary does not exceed 85% of the last active salary.

The text applies to requests for availability and pre-retirement leave submitted as of the date of entry into force; prior requests remain subject to the provisions of the Royal Decree of April 23, 2017, as they were applicable before this entry into force. The decree was preceded by the opinion of the Finance Inspector of March 24, 2026, the agreement of the Minister of Budget of June 22, 2026, the opinion of the skeyes joint committee of October 3, 2025, and opinion 79.646/2/V of the Council of State of August 6, 2026.

Scope for air traffic controllers

This reform strikes a balance between the objective of encouraging staff members to pursue their operational career for as long as reasonable and maintaining an appropriate protection mechanism for those who must end their operational duties for safety reasons. For skeyes air traffic controllers, this results in a more favorable waiting salary for those who remain active longer, while mitigating, via the 2027-2028 transitional regime, the consequences of the federal pension reform on the most imminent departures.

Official source: Belgian Official Gazette, 196th year, No. 202, 2nd edition, Monday, September 7, 2026, p. 49107 — Royal Decree of August 30, 2026, reference [C − 2026/006472], amending the Royal Decree of April 23, 2017, determining the conditions for granting availability with a waiting salary and pre-retirement leave with a waiting salary at the autonomous public enterprise skeyes.