Ryanair has unveiled its Summer 2025 schedule for Belgium, announcing four new routes from Brussels South Charleroi Airport to Katowice in Poland, Nea Anchialos (Volos) in Greece, and the Italian airports of Rome Fiumicino and Salerno Costa d’Amalfi. The airline also revealed plans to increase frequencies on 40 existing Charleroi routes, including Dubrovnik, Faro, Marseille, Palma, Sarajevo, and Zadar.
Aviation24.be attended the press conference in Brussels, where Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary criticised the high airport charges at Brussels Airport, confirming that Ryanair will not expand its operations there in 2025. The airline claims that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport’s charges have risen by 20% and are set to increase again in 2025, making it uncompetitive compared to other European airports that are lowering fees to boost traffic recovery and growth.
During the press conference, O’Leary also urged the European Commission, under President Ursula von der Leyen, to implement major reforms in the aviation sector. Ryanair highlighted several key areas for improvement:
- ATC System Reform: The airline pointed to repeated delays and cancellations caused by inefficient air traffic control (ATC) systems and staff shortages, calling for legal obligations to ensure full staffing during peak hours and protection of overflights during national ATC strikes.
- Ownership and Control Modernisation: Ryanair criticised Europe’s outdated aviation ownership and control rules, which it says hinder competition.
- Abolition of Aviation Taxes: The airline reiterated its stance against aviation taxes, arguing that they penalise EU citizens while exempting non-EU long-haul passengers.
- Prevention of National Regulation: Ryanair called on the EU to prevent individual governments from imposing additional restrictions and taxes on airlines.
Ryanair remains committed to growth across Europe, aiming to expand from 200 million to 300 million passengers annually over the next decade. The airline emphasised that it will continue to work with airports that incentivise growth rather than those with rising costs, citing Charleroi as an example of a competitive and efficient airport.
O’Leary also referenced the recent Draghi Report, which highlighted Europe’s ATC inefficiencies and the urgent need for reform. He stressed that a more competitive aviation sector would boost tourism, economic growth, and connectivity across the European Union.
In a Q&A session, O’Leary revealed that Charleroi is now the base for 18 aircraft, 4 Boeing 737-800s and 14 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200s. The latter have a noise reduction factor of 20% and the future 737 MAX 10s (due to arrive in 2 years) will reduce noise by 50%, in line with the requirements of Charleroi Airport in its upcoming environmental permit.
On a different topic, O’Leary said he would get rid of paper boarding passes by May 2025. Sixty per cent of the passengers already utilise such passes, and the remaining 40 per cent should adapt themselves. Ultimately, check-in desks should also disappear with passengers travelling only with hand luggage.
