Skeyes air traffic controllers' pension: the supplements taken into account

A Royal Decree of August 30, 2026, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 9, 2026 (p. 49366-49370, reference 2026/202270), includes various salary supplements granted to the staff of skeyes, the autonomous public air traffic control company, in the calculation of retirement pensions. The text, adopted on the proposal of the Minister of Pensions J. Jambon, takes effect retroactively from April 1, 2020.

The decree supplements Article 8, § 2, paragraph 1, of the General Law on Civil and Ecclesiastical Pensions of July 21, 1844, inserted by the law of January 25, 1999. It adds four new points (72° to 75°) to the list of eligible supplements, corresponding to the grades created by the Split Career & Direct Entry Collective Agreement of March 18, 2020, concluded between skeyes and the trade union organizations.

The grades concerned

Four grades, introduced as of April 1, 2020, in the Regulations fixing the grades and salary scales of skeyes agents, are targeted:

• Chief Air Traffic Controller TOWER (scale 11/ez, from €26,385.12 to €36,278.92), whose salary supplement represents 86% of the variable salary of the CANAC chief controller;
• ATS Expert CANAC50 (scale 12/bb, from €30,708.56 to €47,457.32);
• ATS Expert TOWER (scale 12/bz, from €26,433.60 to €45,347.64);
• ATS Expert TOWER50 (scale 12/ba, from €26,409.35 to €40,813.31).

Why this measure

The report to the King explains that these grades were created after December 31, 1998, the date on which salary supplements for air traffic control service personnel were “frozen” for pension calculations. In principle, new supplements could therefore not be taken into account, which would have led, as a result of their promotion, to a lower pension for these agents.

The decree corrects this inequity by aligning these agents with their colleagues: since the salary supplements of other controllers and ATS experts were already taken into account, there was no reason to exclude them for the new grades. However, the eligible amount remains capped at the level that would have been in effect on December 31, 1998, in order to avoid any discrimination against other ATS experts.

Legal framework and opinions

The text follows the continuity of the Regie voor de Luchtvaart (RVA), taken over by Belgocontrol on October 1, 1998, which became skeyes on November 7, 2018. It was preceded by Opinion 78.953/4 of the Council of State of March 18, 2026, issued at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Pensions, as well as the opinion of the skeyes Joint Committee of January 16, 2026.

The royal decree, signed by King Philippe and countersigned by the Minister of Pensions J. Jambon, entered into force retroactively as of April 1, 2020, the date of entry into force of the Collective Agreement. For skeyes air traffic controllers promoted to these grades, this measure ensures that their promotion will not result in a decrease in their retirement pension, while preserving equal treatment between the different categories of staff.

Official source: Belgian Official Gazette of September 9, 2026, p. 49366-49370 — Royal decree of August 30, 2026, regarding the consideration for pension purposes of various salary supplements granted to skeyes staff (reference 2026/202270).