WHILE HUNGARY, ITALY, SLOVAKIA AND SWEDEN SCRAP TAXES, SILLY BELGIUM RAISES TAXES (5-FOLD!!) & LOSES TRAFFIC/JOBS

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (Wed, 14 Jan) revised its Brussels 2026 schedules by reducing the number of seats on offer at Charleroi by 1.1m in 2026, with a further planned 1.1m seat cuts in 2027, as Charleroi City Council announces plans for a €3 tax per pax departing Charleroi from April 2026, and the silly Belgium Govt announces a 5-fold increase in pax taxes from €2 in Jan 2025 to €10 in Jan 2027 (at a time when Mario Draghi is calling on Europe to be more competitive). These tax increases are silly when other EU countries including Sweden, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy and Albania, have abolished Aviation Taxes to grow traffic, tourism and jobs. Belgium’s tax rises will now send traffic and jobs to other, more competitive, EU countries.

Ryanair calls on Prime Minister De Wever to reverse these silly tax rises, which will damage Belgium’s competitiveness, and cost Belgium millions of passengers, thousands of flights, and thousands of jobs in tourism and support industries. While almost every other EU country is abolishing Aviation Taxes, it makes no sense for Belgium to increase pax taxes 5-fold, when these taxes have failed in every other EU State. Ryanair, which is Belgium’s largest airline, carrying 11.6m passengers to/from Belgium in 2025, will now cut this figure to (10.6m) in 2026 (if Charleroi Council goes ahead with its €3 tax plan) and will cut further to 9.6m passengers in 2027, if the Belgium Govt doesn’t reverse this idiotic 5-fold increase in pax taxes. The competitiveness of European Aviation is already being damaged by Europe’s mad ETS tax scheme, which taxes only intra-EU flights, while exempting all non-EU flights, and Belgian citizens/visitors cannot be asked to pay even more of these unfair and damaging taxes.

As many other European States have shown, taxing air travel loses traffic, routes and jobs. If the Belgium economy really wants to grow, then the Govt needs to scrap these silly travel taxes, and allow low-fare airlines – led by Ryanair – to return to growth in Zaventem and in Charleroi, instead of cutting over 2m seats, which is what we now plan to do over the next 2 years.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:

“Only the Belgium Govt could be so silly to raise Aviation Taxes five-fold, at a time when Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Albania are abolishing their Aviation Taxes. These taxes have failed, and have damaged air travel and tourism in many EU countries, which is why they are being scrapped. In Belgium however, the De Wever Govt seems determined to fail, while others are succeeding. Having enjoyed Ryanair’s low fare growth at Charleroi and Zaventem Airport over the last 20 years, the Govt has now decided to raise aviation Taxes (by 5-fold!!) at a time, when almost all other EU States are abolishing them.

What these silly politicians don’t understand is that aircraft and passengers are mobile. If Belgium wants to tax passengers, then they simply switch to lower cost, non-tax, destinations, like Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and Albania. Belgium’s loss will be to the gain of these lower cost, tax-cutting States.

When the Draghi Report has called on Europe to become more competitive, the De Wever Govt seems determined to make Belgium even less competitive. Raising taxes will deliver fewer flights, less passengers, less tourism, and cost thousands of jobs at both, Zaventem and Charleroi Airports. The solution to this challenge is easy: Scrap these damaging aviation taxes (as many other EU States have), and allow Ryanair to continue to grow, especially at Charleroi, where over the last 20 years, Ryanair has grown to be Belgium’s largest airline. This growth can easily be lost to tax abolishing countries like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy, and if Charleroi and Belgium don’t reverse these taxes, then Ryanair will cut 1.1m pax in 2026 and another 1.1m in 2027, and we will keep cutting until Belgium’s silly Govt works out that taxing traffic is not the way to grow tourism/jobs, it simply sends them to other lower cost, zero-tax, competitor destinations elsewhere in Europe.”

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 low fares airline, today (Tues, 13 Jan) released its Jan OTA Survey, showing some OTAs like eDreams, Vola, and Tryp are overcharging consumers more than three times Ryanair’s website prices. These OTAs do not have distribution agreements with Ryanair because they wish to continue overcharging consumers. eDreams & Vola are this month’s worst offenders, with eDreams selling a reserved seat that costs just €4.06 on Ryanair.com for €14.18 – over three times Ryanair’s price, and Vola selling a 10kg bag for €25.00, which is 67% more than the cost of just €14.99 on Ryanair.com.

Ryanair continues to campaign to protect EU consumers from OTA overcharging and calls again on EU Govts (most notably Spain’s useless Consumer Minister Bustinduy) and National Consumer Authorities to take urgent action to protect consumers from these overcharging OTAs. They should insist on mandatory price transparency from all OTAs in line with the transparent pricing being delivered by all of Ryanair’s “Approved OTA” partners, to protect consumers.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“Ryanair’s January OTA survey shows that eDreams, Vola, and Tryp continue to overcharge unsuspecting consumers by more than three times the prices quoted on Ryanair’s website. Yet still, Spain’s useless Consumer Minister Bustinduy, refuses to do anything to protect thousands of Spanish consumers from this eDreams overcharging.

Ryanair again calls on EU Govt and Consumer Protection Authorities to take urgent action to protect consumers across Europe by insisting on OTA price transparency, in line with the transparency standards applied by all of Ryanair’s approved OTA partners.”

Ryanair today (8 Jan) welcomed three judgments from the Hamburg Regional Court, which ruled that eDreams’ presentation of prices misled consumers.  The Court found that eDreams displayed airline seat and baggage prices without clearly disclosing its own additional fees and that its claimed savings through its “Prime” service could not actually be achieved by consumers.

In its rulings, the Court stated that eDreams’ “price display for seat reservations without disclosing the additional fee… is in any case misleading” and further noted that this constituted “a misleading practice by omission.”  Regarding checked baggage, the Court found eDreams had been “misleading about the service fee,” and in relation to its Prime product the court held “the announcement of the concrete savings… represents a misrepresentation… since the specifically stated savings cannot actually be achieved.” (by consumers).

These judgments confirm that eDreams’ approach to pricing is “misleading”—a practice that sets it apart from most other online travel agencies such as Booking.com, Lastminute, and Kiwi, all of whom have adopted Ryanair’s price transparency standards.  For access to fares that are not “misleading”, we encourage all customers to book directly on the Ryanair.com website, or through one of our approved OTA partners—where consumers always see the true, accurate Ryanair price.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“These Hamburg Court decisions reinforce what, Ryanair has long advocated – transparent pricing for consumers.   Despite Ryanair’s repeated objections, eDreams continues to scrape our fares and overcharge consumers.  eDreams remains the only large OTA that refuses to follow the transparency standards already adopted by Booking.com, Lastminute, Kiwi and others.  Ryanair has offered to provide eDreams with free, direct access to Ryanair’s inventory — should they wish to compete on a level playing field – if/when they adopt the same transparency standards as their main OTA competitors, and desist from “misleading” or overcharging consumers.”

MISMANAGMENT BY ATC PROVIDERS DENIES THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR EU CITZENS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 8 Jan) published the table of “ATC GRINCHES” that ruined Christmas travel for over 600,000 Ryanair passengers during the festive season. This comes after over 3,200 Ryanair flights and 600,000 Ryanair passengers suffered avoidable ATC delays over the Christmas travel period (22-31 Dec) due to ATC staff shortages. Spain and France were by far the worst performing ATC providers this Christmas, accounting for 34% and 31% of delays respectively.

Such an excessive volume of ATC delays at one of the busiest travel weekends of the year – during which many passengers are travelling with young families – is not acceptable.

Ryanair has repeatedly called for EU ATC reform, but Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” ignores these ATC delays/cancellations which restricts freedom of movement for EU citizens simply due to ATC providers failure to plan for the right number of ATC staff. Ryanair calls on all EU passengers to visit the ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and demand that Ursula von “Derlayed-Again” take urgent action to reform the EU’s broken ATC services to minimise delays for EU citizens.

Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:

“It is unacceptable that 600,000 passengers suffered avoidable ATC delays this Christmas as a result of staff shortages at ATC centres across Spain, France, Portugal and Germany. With Spain and France top of the” ATC Grinches” list. Passengers should be able to travel around Europe without suffering hours of unnecessary ATC delays and cancellations.

When will Ursula von ‘Derlayed-Again’ and the EU Commission stop sitting on their hands and deliver real ATC reform to protect passengers from these completely avoidable delays? Ryanair has long called for urgent reform, yet the EU continues to allow these disruptions to happen year after year, especially at peak travel periods. We urge all passengers affected by these unacceptable delays to visit our ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’ webpage and email their transport minister to demand action. Enough is enough – Europe needs ATC reform now.”

As the year closes, a new year begins – which means it’s time to start planning your 2026 getaways. To help inspire your New Year travel plans, Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 31 Dec) revealed the top 5 destinations across its industry-leading network of over 235 destinations that passengers are flocking to in 2026:

• Bratislava (Slovakia): is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most exciting city break destinations, blending rich history with modern charm. Known for its medieval Old Town and stunning castle views, the city will be more accessible than ever in Summer 2026 thanks to Ryanair’s record schedule of 33 routes, growing capacity by +70%.

• Tirana (Albania): Albania’s vibrant capital is a city where colourful streets, lively cafés, and stunning mountain backdrops create an unforgettable travel experience. From its charming mix of Ottoman, Italian, and modern architecture to the bustling Skanderbeg Square and serene Lake Tirana, the city offers a perfect blend of history, great weather, and contemporary culture. In April 2026, Ryanair will open its new 3-aircraft base at Tirana, offering regular flights (450 per week) across its 33 route offering.

• Pescara (Italy): Italy remains one of Europe’s most captivating destinations, offering stunning coastlines, historic cities, and world-class cuisine. Pescara – a city on the Adriatic coast – is a prime example, best known for its stunning beaches and the birthplace of Italian the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. Summer 2026 is the perfect time to visit, with Ryanair operating hundreds of flights on its 21 routes (and of course for the best Adriatic weather!).

• Rabat (Morocco): the historic capital of Morocco, is set to shine brighter than ever in 2026 with Ryanair’s new 2-aircraft base opening in April. This expansion will see Ryanair grow its Rabat schedule to 20 routes, connecting several major European cities. Known for its stunning coastal views, elegant architecture, and vibrant cultural scene, Rabat offers travellers a unique blend of tradition and modernity – an unmissable destination for affordable travel and authentic experiences in 2026.

• Gdańsk (Poland): the jewel of Poland’s Baltic coast is set for a major boost in 2026, with Rayanir’s record 43-route schedule. Known for its picturesque Old Town, stunning waterfront, and rich maritime history, Gdańsk offers a perfect blend of culture and relaxation. With Ryanair’s commitment to Pomerania, this thriving city is fast becoming an even more accessible gateway for affordable European adventures in 2026.

10M SUMMER 2026 SEATS ON SALE

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Fri, 26 Dec) launched its biggest ever seat sale with over 10 million Summer 2026 seats on offer at big discounts for early bookers.

What better way to beat the post-Christmas blues than by planning your Summer 2026 holiday across Ryanair’s industry leading network of over 235 destinations, including top sunshine hotspots like Corfu, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Malaga, Malta, Palermo, Palma, Rhodes, Santorini, and Tenerife, as well as exciting city breaks to Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Pisa, Paris, Valencia, and Rome.

Ryanair’s biggest ever seat sale (10m Summer 2026 seats) will sell out fast, so make sure to book your Summer 2026 holiday via the Ryanair App now to snap up some bargain fares before prices rise in the new year.

Ryanair’s Dara Brady said:

“Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to look forward to your Summer 2026 holidays. Whether you’re seeking sun, sea, city or all the above, Ryanair’s Summer 2026 sale – our biggest ever sale with 10m discount seats on offer – delivers incredible value across Ryanair’s more than 235 destinations, including top sunshine hotspots like Alicante, Corfu, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Malaga, Malta, Palermo, Palma, Rhodes, Santorini, and Tenerife, as well as exciting city break destinations, like Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Pisa, Paris, Valencia, and Rome. These bargain fares will sell out fast, so make sure you book your Summer 2026 holiday today via the Ryanair App or website.”