This Budget Airline Is Cutting 1 Million Seats and 20 Routes in 2026-Here's What Travelers Should Know

"Despite so many other EU countries taking this step to support their economies, Belgium is going in the opposite direction, driving up access costs and pushing airlines and tourism elsewhere,"

"These repeated increases to this harmful aviation tax make Belgium completely uncompetitive compared to the many other EU countries."

Ryanair will remove one million seats and eliminate 20 routes at Brussels Airport (BRU) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), a 22 percent capacity reduction for the winter 2026–2027 schedule. The cuts follow a government decision to raise the aviation tax to €10 per departing passenger from 2027 and a Charleroi proposal to charge €3 per departing passenger. Reductions are expected to begin in 2026 with no immediate impact on the December holiday period. The capacity loss could affect onward European connections served from Brussels, where several international carriers also operate.

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