If you’re planning to fly through Brussels in 2026, you might want to start looking at your options now. Ryanair is slashing one million seats from its Belgium operation for the 2026-27 winter season, and the cuts will hit both Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport hard.
The budget carrier plans to pull five aircraft from Belgium and cancel 20 routes entirely. That means fewer options for popular destinations like Dublin, Barcelona, Rome, and Marrakesh—exactly the kind of city-break routes that Ryanair helped make accessible to average travelers over the past two decades.
Why Belgium is losing service
The culprit here is straightforward: rising passenger taxes. Belgium has been steadily increasing its aviation tax, and Ryanair says the country has made itself “completely uncompetitive” as a result.
“These repeated increases to this harmful aviation tax make Belgium completely uncompetitive,” said Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s chief commercial officer, in a recent statement. “As a result, we’ve been forced to cut one million seats, remove aircraft and drop 20 routes.”
McGuinness warned that more reductions could come as early as April 2026 if Belgium moves forward with additional local taxes. The airline is making it clear that this is a direct response to government policy, not declining demand.
Broader cuts across Europe
Belgium isn’t alone. According to Simple Flying, Ryanair is also cutting routes across Portugal’s Azores and Spain in response to rising taxes, higher airport fees, and increased operating costs. The carrier will exit the Azores entirely and cut hundreds of thousands of seats across Spain.
These moves demonstrate just how sensitive low-cost carriers are to even small increases in fees. For years, Ryanair has relied on low airport charges and tax-efficient environments to offer ultra-low fares. When governments start raising costs, the airline simply moves capacity elsewhere in Europe.
What this means for travelers
The concern for passengers is that higher access costs lead to scaled-back schedules and pricier fares—particularly on budget airlines operating on tight margins. Brussels is a major hub for European travel, and Ryanair’s vast network of more than 3,600 daily flights across 36 countries helps keep fares competitive regionwide.
Even long-haul travelers connecting from U.S. airlines like United or Delta could feel the impact through reduced onward options. Brussels Airport has already welcomed more than 20 million passengers this year despite multiple strike-related disruptions, but with one million fewer Ryanair seats on the horizon, travelers planning 2026 trips should book early, expect fuller flights, and prepare for fewer ultra-cheap deals.
The reductions will particularly affect leisure travelers and those visiting friends and family from Charleroi. Passengers in affected regions should expect fewer flights and reduced route diversity in upcoming seasons.
