Ryanair has announced that it will cut one million seats from its Belgian flight schedule by the end of 2026. The budget airline blames the Belgian government and the city of Charleroi for its decision, as they have increased aviation taxes.
On Tuesday, 9 December 2025, Ryanair published a press release regarding its future flights departing from Belgium. The carrier announced it will be cutting approximately one million seats, five planes, and 20 routes from its Belgian Winter 2026-2027 schedule. 13 routes departing from Charleroi and seven departing from Brussels Zaventem are to be abolished, representing some 22% of its Belgian seats.
According to the airline, the decision is the result of the Belgian Government’s “backward decision to double its harmful aviation tax to €10 per departing passenger from 2027.” In the summer of 2025, the Belgian government already raised its aviation taxes from €2 to €5 per departing traveller for flights over 500 kilometres, causing Ryanair to announce it would be cutting 6% of its Winter 2025-2026 Brussels Zaventem flights over the tax increase. As of 2027, that amount will rise again, which makes Belgium uncompetitive compared to other EU markets, according to the budget carrier. Other countries are, in some cases, abolishing aviation taxes or halting their increase.
“If Prime Minister De Wever and his Government really wanted to revive Belgium’s economy, they should abolish this harmful aviation tax, not double it. Despite so many other EU countries taking this step to support their economies, Belgium is going in the opposite direction, driving up access costs and pushing airlines and tourism elsewhere. We urge Prime Minister De Wever to scrap this damaging aviation tax before Belgian’s traffic, tourism, jobs, and the wider economy collapse any further”, Ryanair’s Jason McGuinness said in a statement.
Still, according to Ryanair, its decision was also partly sparked by the Charleroi city council’s plans to introduce a €3 per passenger city tax for all those travelling to and from the airport starting from 1 January 2026. Charleroi’s mayor Thomas Dermine has confirmed having received a letter regarding Ryanair’s decision to scrap seats, but also stated that the €3 tax is meant to be paid by the airport itself, not by the carriers. Neither airlines nor passengers should feel the consequences of the tax, while the city should raise some €15 million per year.
If the Belgian government goes forward with its aviation tax increase, Ryanair threatens to scrap even more flights starting from April 2026.
