Wallonia and Charleroi Airport seek to limit impact of Ryanair cuts and diversify airline base

The Walloon government and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) have responded to Ryanair’s decision to remove five based aircraft and cut two million seats from its Belgian network from the Winter 2026 and Summer 2027 schedules, following the federal government’s increase in the passenger departure tax.

Walloon Minister-President Adrien Dolimont said Ryanair’s latest move once again highlights the need for Charleroi Airport to diversify its airline portfolio rather than relying heavily on a single carrier. Describing the airline’s communications as “regularly aggressive“, he said the regional government would not be intimidated by repeated threats. Dolimont stressed that Wallonia had already secured €30 million in tax reductions benefiting Charleroi Airport, including €15 million in municipal tax relief and €15 million in federal tax measures, arguing that further concessions were unrealistic given the wider budgetary context.

The Walloon government said it remains in close contact with the airport to monitor the situation, while Regional Minister for Airports Cécile Neven expressed regret over Ryanair’s decision, emphasising that Wallonia had acted within its powers to protect the competitiveness of its regional airports and the thousands of jobs they support.

BSCA also expressed disappointment at Ryanair’s announcement but confirmed it will continue discussions with the airline in the coming weeks to determine how the planned capacity reduction will be implemented. The airport said its priority is to minimise the impact on passengers, employees and the regional economy ahead of the Summer 2027 season.

Despite the setback, Charleroi Airport reaffirmed its commitment to continue growing its operations and those of all its airline partners, including Ryanair, while thanking the regional and federal authorities for their support despite a challenging budgetary environment. The airport also paid tribute to its employees and partners for maintaining smooth operations during the busy summer holiday period.