Ryanair to Cut Brussels Traffic as Belgium Raises Passenger Taxes

International

Airline plans to reduce capacity by more than two million seats by 2027, citing higher taxes at Charleroi and nationwide increases in passenger charges

Ryanair has announced significant reductions to its Brussels operations, cutting 1.1 million seats at Charleroi in 2026 and a further 1.1 million in 2027. The decision follows plans by Charleroi City Council to introduce a €3 passenger tax from April 2026, alongside a Belgian government proposal to raise national passenger taxes fivefold, from €2 in 2025 to €10 by January 2027.

Ryanair argues that the tax increases will undermine Belgium’s competitiveness at a time when several European countries, including Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden and Albania, have abolished aviation taxes to stimulate traffic, tourism and employment. According to the airline, higher charges in Belgium will divert passengers, routes and jobs to lower-cost destinations elsewhere in Europe.

Impact on passengers and jobs

Ryanair, Belgium’s largest airline, carried 11.6 million passengers to and from the country in 2025. The carrier now expects this figure to fall to 10.6 million in 2026 if the Charleroi tax is implemented, and to 9.6 million in 2027 should the national tax increase proceed. The airline warns that these reductions would result in fewer flights, lower tourism volumes and job losses across airports and related industries.

The company has called on Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to reverse the planned tax rises, describing them as counterproductive at a time when European policymakers, including Mario Draghi, have urged greater competitiveness within the EU economy.

Airline criticism of tax policy

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said Belgium risked losing decades of growth achieved through low fares at Charleroi and Zaventem airports. He argued that aircraft and passengers are mobile and will shift to countries with lower costs if taxes rise.

According to O’Leary, increasing aviation taxes would deliver “fewer flights, fewer passengers and fewer jobs,” while scrapping them could allow airlines to resume growth. Ryanair has warned it will continue to cut capacity until Belgium reverses its tax policy, maintaining that taxing air travel does not generate growth but instead shifts economic activity to competing destinations.