Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 22 July) responded to the Federal Govt’s decision to raise Belgium’s aviation tax to €7 from Jan ‘27 – a whopping 250% increase since 2025 – while competitor destinations, like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, regional Italy, and Albania, are abolishing aviation taxes to grow traffic, tourism and jobs.

Ryanair has repeatedly called on Prime Minister De Wever to scrap his Govt’s plans to increase Belgium’s aviation tax from Jan ‘27. In March the airline warned that “reassessing” the increase in July would be “too little, too late”, as airlines’ Winter ‘26/Summer ‘27 schedules would already be set and Belgian traffic, tourism and jobs would already be lost. Instead of listening to airlines – who decide where to grow traffic – Prime Minister De Wever and his Govt decided to increase Belgium’s aviation tax by 250% from Jan ’27. As a result, Ryanair has cut 5 aircraft from its Charleroi base and 2m seats from its Brussels schedule (Charleroi & Zaventem Airports) for Winter ‘26/Summer ’27, with Belgium losing much-needed traffic, tourism and jobs.  

Ryanair CEO, Eddie Wilson, said:

“It’s absurd that the Federal Govt have decided to increase Belgium’s aviation tax by 250% from Jan ’27, especially when competing EU countries, like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, regional Italy, and Albania are abolishing aviation taxes to grow traffic, tourism and jobs.

We warned Prime Minister De Wever that increasing Belgium’s aviation tax would result in traffic cuts, but he failed to listen. As a result, Ryanair will now remove 5 aircraft from our Charleroi base and 2m seats from our Brussels schedules (Charleroi and Zaventem) for Winter ’26/Summer ’27 and relocate to more competitive economies.”