Ryanair will scale back its operations in Belgium due to an increase in the aviation tax
Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has announced it will scale back its operations in Belgium due to an increase in the air transport tax, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
According to “European Truth,” citing AFP, the company plans to relocate five aircraft from its hub in Charleroi, where a total of about 20 of its planes are based. Ryanair also intends to remove 2 million seats from its scheduled flights from Charleroi and Zaventem for the winter and upcoming summer seasons.
Ryanair has called the new tax “absurd.” Starting January 1, 2027, Belgium will impose a federal tax of 7 euros on each passenger departing the country on a flight ranging from 500 to 3,500 kilometers. Earlier, there had been discussions about raising the tax to 10 euros instead of the current 5 euros, but the rate was ultimately set at 7 euros.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary criticized this decision by the Belgian government back in January. In a statement, the company emphasized: “We warned Prime Minister De Wever that an increase in the air transport tax in Belgium would lead to a reduction in traffic, but he did not listen.”
