Low-cost carrier Ryanair has fired a fresh warning shot at the Belgian government less than 24 hours after lawmakers confirmed that the country’s air-passenger duty will rise to €10 per departing traveller in 2027 and that Charleroi city council may introduce a separate €3 local levy next year.
Speaking on 12 December, Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said the airline will withdraw five of its 23 aircraft currently based at Brussels Zaventem and Charleroi and scrap 20 routes from its Winter 2026/27 schedule—equal to one million seats and 22 % of its Belgian capacity—if the tax package is not reversed. Ryanair argues the measures will make Belgium “Europe’s least-competitive short-haul market”, pushing price-sensitive leisure and business travellers to airports in the Netherlands, France and Germany, many of which have rolled back green levies to rebuild post-pandemic traffic.
Belgian airports and tourism bodies share the concern. Brussels Airport Company estimates that every percentage-point drop in passenger numbers removes €45 million from Belgium’s GDP and 500 direct jobs. Trade group BATA says higher duties will deter network carriers from opening new long-haul feed, undermining Brussels’ role as an EU capital and headquarters city for multinationals that rely on frequent connections.
![Ryanair warns it will cut 20 Brussels-based routes after Belgium approves €10 ‘boarding tax’]()
For travellers whose itineraries may shift because of route cancellations or a move to neighbouring hubs, keeping documentation in order is crucial. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) provides fast, online visa and passport services that help both corporate and leisure passengers stay compliant with changing entry requirements, easing the administrative burden when travel plans are altered at short notice.
The government defends the new ‘boarding tax’ as a revenue measure that will help plug a €9.2 billion budget shortfall by 2029 while encouraging a modal shift to rail on ultra-short segments. Critics counter that Ryanair will simply redeploy aircraft to countries such as Italy, Slovakia and Sweden, which have scrapped similar levies, depriving the treasury of VAT on tickets, airport fees and visitor spending.
For corporate travel managers the immediate impact is limited, because the higher duty will only apply from 2027. However the threat of capacity cuts is already feeding into 2026 airfare forecasts and will increase pressure on companies with Belgian operations to secure seat allotments early or consider alternate hubs for meetings and assignments.
Speaking on 12 December, Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness said the airline will withdraw five of its 23 aircraft currently based at Brussels Zaventem and Charleroi and scrap 20 routes from its Winter 2026/27 schedule—equal to one million seats and 22 % of its Belgian capacity—if the tax package is not reversed. Ryanair argues the measures will make Belgium “Europe’s least-competitive short-haul market”, pushing price-sensitive leisure and business travellers to airports in the Netherlands, France and Germany, many of which have rolled back green levies to rebuild post-pandemic traffic.
Belgian airports and tourism bodies share the concern. Brussels Airport Company estimates that every percentage-point drop in passenger numbers removes €45 million from Belgium’s GDP and 500 direct jobs. Trade group BATA says higher duties will deter network carriers from opening new long-haul feed, undermining Brussels’ role as an EU capital and headquarters city for multinationals that rely on frequent connections.
For travellers whose itineraries may shift because of route cancellations or a move to neighbouring hubs, keeping documentation in order is crucial. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) provides fast, online visa and passport services that help both corporate and leisure passengers stay compliant with changing entry requirements, easing the administrative burden when travel plans are altered at short notice.
The government defends the new ‘boarding tax’ as a revenue measure that will help plug a €9.2 billion budget shortfall by 2029 while encouraging a modal shift to rail on ultra-short segments. Critics counter that Ryanair will simply redeploy aircraft to countries such as Italy, Slovakia and Sweden, which have scrapped similar levies, depriving the treasury of VAT on tickets, airport fees and visitor spending.
For corporate travel managers the immediate impact is limited, because the higher duty will only apply from 2027. However the threat of capacity cuts is already feeding into 2026 airfare forecasts and will increase pressure on companies with Belgian operations to secure seat allotments early or consider alternate hubs for meetings and assignments.
