Ryanair to cut 20 Belgian routes and six aircraft this winter

Ryanair announced on 20 October 2026 that it will cut 20 routes and remove six aircraft from its Belgian bases for the Winter 2026 season, in protest at a planned rise in Belgium's aviation tax. According to AeroTime, the cuts will remove 1.1 million seats over the season and hit Brussels South Charleroi Airport hardest.

The tax dispute

The Ryanair decision is tied to Belgium's aviation tax, which AeroTime says will rise from €2 to €7 in January 2027. Chief executive Michael O'Leary described this as a 250% increase and called on the government of Prime Minister Bart De Wever to scrap it "before any further damage is done to Belgium's collapsing air travel market".

O'Leary contrasted Belgium's approach with that of Sweden, Slovakia, Hungary and Italy, which AeroTime says have recently lowered airport fees and other aviation taxes, or in some cases abolished them. The six aircraft will be redeployed elsewhere.

Which routes are affected

Ryanair's press release did not include a list of routes. AeroTime cites the Belgian publication Mobilithib, which reports that the cuts will include the following winter services.

• From Charleroi (CRL): Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, Béziers, Genoa, Reggio Calabria, Trapani, Essaouira, Nador, Oujda, Tetouan, Łódź, Poznań, Warsaw-Modlin and Newcastle.
• From Brussels-Zaventem (BRU): Madrid, Valencia, Málaga, Rome-Fiumicino, Marrakech, Porto and Barcelona-El Prat.

These lists have not been confirmed by Ryanair in the material available, so they should be treated as reported rather than official.

Background: Charleroi and Brussels

Charleroi, around 60 km south of Brussels, has long been Ryanair's main Belgian base, with about 19 aircraft permanently based there, according to AeroTime. The airline markets it as an alternative gateway to the capital. Brussels-Zaventem was formerly Ryanair's other major Belgian base, but the airline closed it in 2022 after a similar disagreement over airport charges. It still serves the airport from other European bases.

What this means for travellers

• Passengers booked on winter Ryanair flights from Charleroi or Brussels-Zaventem should check their booking status and watch for emails from the airline, particularly on the routes listed above.
• Those affected will need to rebook or find alternatives; the sources do not say what refunds or rerouting Ryanair will offer, so check the airline's own policy for cancelled flights.
• Several of the routes, such as Charleroi to Morocco, Poland and Italy, have no obvious like-for-like substitute in the sources, so travellers may need to look at other airlines or airports.
• The tax rise takes effect in January 2027, and it is not yet known whether the government will respond or whether further cuts will follow.

Sources: AeroTime.