Ryanair cuts flights from Belgium: “Fivefold taxes, crazy choice”

Ryanair lashes out against thetax increases in Belgiumcutting the number of connections from the country, to the detriment ofpassenger mobility e dei jobs.

La low costhas revised its 2026 operations on Brussels, reducing by1.1 million places offered in Charleroi in 2026with further cuts expected for another 1.1 million posts in 2027. This comes after Charleroi City Council announced its intention to introduce a3 euro tax for each passengerdeparting from April 2026, and while – we read in a Ryanair statement – ​​the ‘ridiculous’Belgian government annuncia un five-fold increase in passenger taxesfrom 2 euros in January 2025 to 10 euros in January 2027 (just as Mario Draghi invites Europe to be more competitive). These increases, Ryanair claims, are absurd, while other EU countries likeSweden, Slovakia, Hungary, Italia e Albaniathey abolished theaviation taxes per far crescere traffic, turismo e employment. Belgium’s increases will now push traffic and jobs towardsMost competitive EU countries.

Ryanair’s reaction and operational cuts

Ryanair invites the Prime MinisterDe Weverto revoke these ‘ridiculous’ increases, which would damage thecompetitiveness of Belgiumand they would cost the countrymillions of passengersthousands of flights and thousands of jobs in tourism and related sectors. While almost all other EU countries are abolishing taxes on aviation, it makes no sense according to Ryanair for Belgium to increase taxes five timespassenger taxessince such taxes have failed wherever they have been introduced. Ryanair, which is theBelgium’s largest airlinewith 11.6 million passengers to/from the country in 2025, it will reduce this figure to 10.6 million in 2026 (if Charleroi proceeds with the 3 euro tax) and further to 9.6 million in 2027, if the Belgian government does not cancel the fivefold increase. The competitiveness of European aviation is already damaged – says the company – by the ‘crazy’ systemEuropean STDwhich only taxes intra-EU flights, exempting extra-EU ones, and Belgian citizens/visitors cannot be asked to pay additionalunfair and harmful taxes. As demonstrated by many other European states, taxing air travel makes moneytraffic, broken e jobs. If the Belgian economy really wants to grow, the government must eliminate these ridiculous thingstravel taxes e consentire alle compagnie low-costled by Ryanair to return to growthZaventem and Charleroiinstead of cutting more than 2 million jobs, as now expected over the next two years.

Michael O’Leary’s views on taxes

The CEO of Ryanair,Michael O’Learysaid, “Just theBelgian governmentit could be so ridiculous that it increases theaviation taxesby five times, just as Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Albania are abolishing them. These taxes have failed and damaged theair transport e il turismoin many EU countries, which is why they are eliminated. In Belgium, however, the De Wever government seems determined to fail while the others succeed. After benefiting for 20 years from the growth ofRyanair’s low fares a Charleroi and Zaventemthe government has now decided to increase aviation taxes (five-fold!) just when almost all other EU states are abolishing them. What these ridiculous politicians don’t understand is thatplanes and passengers are mobile. If Belgium wants to tax passengers, they will simply choosecheaper and tax-free destinationssuch as Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and Albania”.

The economic impact and the request for revocation

“Belgium’s loss will be their gainMore competitive countries. While theDraghi reportcalls for Europe to become more competitive, the De Wever government seems determined to make Belgium even less competitive. Raising taxes will meanfewer flights, fewer passengers, less tourismand the loss ofthousands of jobsboth in Zaventem and Charleroi – continues the CEO. The solution is simple: eliminate theseharmful taxes(as many other EU states have done) and allow Ryanair to continue to grow, especially in Charleroi, where over the last 20 years Ryanair has become the largest airline in Belgium. This growth can easily shift to countries that abolish taxes, such as Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy. And if Charleroi and Belgium do not cancel these taxes, Ryanair will cut1.1 million passengers in 2026and another 1.1 million in 2027, and we will continue to cut until the ridiculous Belgian government understands that taxing traffic does not grow tourism and jobs: it simply pushes them towardscompeting destinations cheaper and without taxeselsewhere in Europe”.