Ryanair has announced a drastic reduction in its flight schedule from Brussels, blaming a controversial new passenger tax introduced by the Belgian government. The budget airline will cut a staggering 1.1 million seats in 2026, with a further 1.1 million cuts planned for 2027.
The Tax Hike That Triggered the Cuts
The decision follows plans by Charleroi City Council to introduce a €3 tax per departing passenger from April 2026. More significantly, the Belgian government has announced a five-fold increase in national passenger taxes, which will rise from €2 in January 2025 to €10 by January 2027.
Ryanair's outspoken CEO, Michael O'Leary, launched a scathing attack on the policy, labelling it a "silly" move that goes against a wider European trend. He pointed out that countries like Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Albania are abolishing similar aviation taxes.
O'Leary's Warning: Jobs and Tourism at Risk
In a strongly-worded statement, O'Leary argued that the tax hike will backfire on Belgium. "These taxes have failed, and have damaged air travel and tourism in many EU countries, which is why they are being scrapped," he said.
He warned that the move would directly lead to fewer flights, fewer passengers, and less tourism, ultimately costing thousands of jobs at both Zaventem and Charleroi airports. O'Leary emphasised the mobility of both aircraft and passengers, suggesting travellers would simply choose to fly from lower-cost, tax-free destinations elsewhere in Europe.
A Call to Reverse Course
The airline has issued a clear ultimatum to Belgian authorities. The solution, according to Ryanair, is simple: scrap the tax increases as other nations have done. O'Leary stated that Ryanair's growth at Charleroi, where it became Belgium's largest airline over two decades, "can easily be lost to tax-abolishing countries."
He confirmed that if the taxes are not reversed, the airline will proceed with the seat cuts and "keep cutting until Belgium’s silly Govt works out that taxing traffic is not the way to grow tourism and jobs." The airline's stance sets up a significant clash between corporate mobility and national fiscal policy, with Belgian travellers and the local tourism industry caught in the middle.
