Ryanair is reducing its capacity in Belgium to protest against the increase in the air tax

Ryanair has announced a reduction in its operations in Belgium in response to the increase in the air transport tax that will come into effect on January 1, 2027. The low-cost carrier will remove five aircraft from its Charleroi base and eliminate two million seats from its flight schedules departing from Charleroi and Brussels-Zaventem airports for winter 2026 and summer 2027.

This decision follows the increase in the federal passenger tax. This tax will rise from €5 to €7 for flights between 500 and 3,500 kilometers. Ryanair denounces this as a 250% increase in two years and believes this policy is harming the competitiveness of Belgian air transport. Its CEO, Michael O'Leary, had already warned Bart De Wever's government that this measure would lead to a decrease in traffic.

Expected consequences for Belgian airports

The company states that this capacity reduction will directly affect the number of flights departing from Belgium from the end of 2026. Ryanair believes that several European countries are instead choosing to reduce or eliminate air taxes in order to support the growth of the sector.

Charleroi Airport, one of Ryanair's main European hubs, expressed its regret over the decision. Its operator indicated that it is continuing discussions with the airline to minimize the impact on passengers and airport employees. Just a few days earlier, the airport had welcomed the compromise reached by the Belgian government, which ultimately limited the tax increase to €7 per passenger, whereas a rise to €10 had initially been considered.