Ryanair Cuts 20 Belgian Routes and Six Aircraft This Winter Over Ticket Tax

October 20, 2026 — Ryanair says it is pulling six aircraft, 20 routes and about 1.1 million seats out of Belgium for the winter 2026 season, blaming a planned rise in the country’s aviation tax. CEO Michael O’Leary also warned that air fares will rise significantly in 2027 as fuel costs climb.

What happened

Ryanair announced the cuts in Brussels on Tuesday, October 20. The smaller winter schedule affects both of its Belgian airports, Brussels South Charleroi and Brussels Airport (Zaventem). Ryanair values the six aircraft it is moving elsewhere at US$600 million of investment and warns that the tax could cost “hundreds of local jobs.” No job numbers or base changes have been published (TBA).

The trigger is Belgium’s plan to raise its aviation tax from €2 to €7 per ticket from January 1, 2027, an increase Ryanair puts at 250%. The rate was scaled back from an earlier proposal of €10 after industry pressure, but Ryanair says it is still too high. O’Leary offered a seven-year plan of 100 new routes and 1,000 jobs if the government scraps the tax. No government response had been reported at the time of writing.

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Routes reported cut

The Brussels Times puts the split at 8 routes from Brussels Airport and 12 from Charleroi, although its destination lists name 7 and 13. Ryanair’s own release did not list the routes.

• Brussels Airport: Málaga, Barcelona, Rome Fiumicino, Madrid, Porto, Marrakech and Valencia. Dublin is the only Ryanair route left at the airport.
• Charleroi: Amman, Dubrovnik, Nîmes, Genoa, Katowice, Lublin, Newcastle, Asturias (Oviedo), Poznań, Reggio Calabria, Sarajevo, Trapani and Warsaw-Modlin.

Fuel and fares

O’Leary told Euronews that Ryanair guarantees no fuel surcharges but expects fares to go up significantly in 2027. Ryanair has locked in fuel at about $67 a barrel for 2026, and O’Leary expects its fuel price to double in 2027 once that protection ends. Cyprus Mail reports that Brent crude closed at $109.86 a barrel on Friday, its highest since May.

What it means for non-revs

• Brussels Airport loses its Ryanair leisure routes this winter. For Málaga, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Porto, Marrakech and Valencia from Brussels you will need another airline. The carriers still flying those city pairs may run fuller, which means tighter standby chances.
• Charleroi loses 13 destinations. If you count on a cheap Ryanair ticket from Charleroi to position for a pass trip, check the winter schedule before you plan.
• Budget for higher positioning fares in 2027. O’Leary expects European fares to rise significantly next year as fuel costs climb.
• For airline people in Belgium: Ryanair warns of local job losses but has not given numbers or named base changes. Watch for follow-up announcements.

Sources

• Ryanair — Ryanair Cuts 20 Routes & Over 1 Million Seats From Belgium W26 Schedule Due to Govt’s 250% Aviation Tax Hike
• The Brussels Times — Ryanair scraps 20 routes to and from Belgium
• Cyprus Mail — Ryanair warns air fares will rise significantly in 2027