Ryanair, in total war for the European airports most used by Romanians: “Only this government is so ridiculous”. Two Romanian cities have already been cut from the list

The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is doubling down on its threat since the end of December last year: not only will it cut 1.1 million passenger seats in Belgium this year (mainly at Charleroi airport), but it plans to cut another 1.1 million in 2027, the Brussels Time writes.

The announcement follows the Belgian government's decision to increase the so-called “flight tax” to €10 per departing passenger from 2027. In addition, the Charleroi City Council has proposed introducing a €3 fee per passenger departing from Charleroi airport from next year.

“Only the Belgian government could be so ridiculous as to raise taxes while Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Albania are removing them,” Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive, told a news conference on Wednesday.

“I have only one message for the prime minister: get rid of this stupid tax,” he added.

Two flights to Romania will be suspended

Dozens of Ryanair and Wizzair flights from Bucharest, Cluj, Iași, Suceava and Craiova land weekly at Charleroi airport, while Tarom, Animawings, HiSky or Flyone flights land at Brussels' other airport, Zaventem.

Ryanair has already announced that it will stop flights to Cluj from the fall of this year, more precisely from October 23, 2026, according to Boardingpass.ro. Those to Iasi will be stopped on October 24, 2026.

The local council does not give in

O'Leary said he will make the decision to drop 1.1 million seats this year if the city of Charleroi does not revoke the tax measure.

However, the city council of Charleroi confirmed to the Belga news agency on Tuesday that the decision was “democratically voted” and is included in this year's budget, meaning it will not be revoked.

Such a fee is necessary because the airport generates “external effects in terms of noise, safety, traffic and parking on public roads”, but without the city of Charleroi receiving a single euro for it, they pointed out.

Another 1.1 million jobs cut in the war with the Federal Government

In addition, Ryanair plans to cut a further 1.1 million seats in Belgium (mainly from Charleroi) next year if the federal government does not abandon the tax increase planned for 2027, he threatened.

“If they go back on their decision, not only will we abandon our decision to cut more than a million seats this year, but we will go back to our original plan: to increase traffic by a million passengers in Belgium,” O'Leary said.

Ryanair is not the only company upset

Ryanair is not the only company to criticize this measure. Brussels Airlines had previously expressed concern, saying the fee announcement came just four months after the last increase, a spokesman told The Brussels Times.