Ryanair to cut 2 million seats in Belgium over aviation tax increase

Ryanair has announced plans to remove five aircraft from its base at Brussels South Charleroi Airport and cut two million seats from its Belgian network for the Winter 2026 and Summer 2027 seasons, blaming the federal government’s decision to increase the country’s aviation tax.

The move follows the Belgian government’s confirmation that the aviation tax will rise from €5 to €7 per departing passenger from January 2027, representing what Ryanair describes as a 250% increase since 2025. (Actually, it’s a 40% increase.) The airline argues that the higher tax will make Belgium less competitive than countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, parts of Italy and Albania, which have reduced or abolished similar taxes to stimulate aviation growth.

According to Ryanair, the reduction will affect its operations at both Brussels South Charleroi Airport and Brussels Airport (Zaventem), resulting in lower passenger traffic and, according to the airline, fewer tourism-related jobs.

Ryanair said it had repeatedly urged the Belgian government to abandon the planned tax increase, warning that airline schedules for Winter 2026 and Summer 2027 would already be finalised by the time any review took place. The carrier now says it will reallocate aircraft capacity to markets it considers more competitive.

The Belgian government has not yet responded publicly to Ryanair’s announcement.