Ryanair urges Belgium to scrap aviation tax hike immediately to avoid traffic loss

Ryanair is calling on Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to immediately abolish the planned fivefold increase in aviation taxes, warning that delaying a decision until July risks significant losses in traffic, tourism, and jobs.

The airline argues that waiting to “reassess” the tax mid-summer is ineffective, as airlines will have already finalised their Winter 2026 and Summer 2027 schedules. According to Ryanair, failure to act now could result in the loss of over 2 million seats, particularly impacting operations at Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

Ryanair maintains that higher aviation taxes make Belgium less competitive compared to countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, and Albania, which are reducing or eliminating such levies to stimulate growth.

CEO Eddie Wilson emphasised that immediate action is necessary to prevent airlines from shifting capacity to lower-cost markets, warning that delays would lead to irreversible economic consequences for Belgium’s aviation sector.