Low-cost airline Ryanair will scrap 20 routes from Belgium this winter in response to an increase in the country’s aviation tax, CEO Michael O’Leary announced in Brussels on Tuesday.
The Irish airline will cut flights from Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport, reducing its capacity by 1.1 million seats and removing six aircraft from its Belgian operations.
At Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Ryanair will retain just one route, connecting the Belgian capital with Dublin.
The decision comes ahead of an increase in Belgium’s aviation tax from €2 to €7 per ticket on 1 January 2027, a rise of 250%.
O’Leary fiercely criticised the measure, calling it a “failed and stupid initiative” by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA).
He argued that taxing air travel would not generate economic growth but would instead shift passengers and investment to other countries.
The Ryanair chief pointed to Sweden, Italy, and Slovakia as examples of countries that, according to him, have abandoned aviation taxes.
O’Leary also presented a seven-year growth plan for Belgium, saying the airline could introduce 100 new routes if the government reversed its taxation policy.
According to the CEO, such an expansion could create 1,000 jobs.
Which destinations?
According to a list obtained by The Brussels Times, eight routes will be discontinued from Brussels Airport in Zaventem, while another 12 will be cut from Brussels South Charleroi Airport.
From Brussels Airport (Zaventem):
– Málaga, Spain
– Barcelona, Spain
– Rome Fiumicino, Italy
– Madrid, Spain
– Porto, Portugal
– Marrakech, Morocco
– Valencia, Spain
From Brussels South Charleroi Airport:
– Amman, Jordan
– Dubrovnik, Croatia
– Nîmes, France
– Genoa, Italy
– Katowice, Poland
– Lublin, Poland
– Newcastle, United Kingdom
– Asturias (Oviedo), Spain
– Poznań, Poland
– Reggio Calabria, Italy
– Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
– Trapani, Italy
– Warsaw Modlin, Poland
