Photo: Shutterstock Ryanair - the Irish low-cost airline, is attacking the new Belgian government's decision to raise the aviation tax for regular passengers by up to 150%.
The company is calling on the government to cancel the plan, claiming that the new tax will severely affect Belgium's connectivity, tourism, employment, and economy.
The government of Belgium is not alone; however, it should be noted that Ryanair has reduced its operations in several European countries due to high taxes, such as in Denmark due to the aviation tax increase, when the company explained the move as: "We had no choice following the Danish government's short-sighted decision to impose a harmful flight tax from January 2025."
Ryanair announced its intention to reduce its presence at Brandenburg Airport in Berlin by 20% due to the high operational and access costs, which remained the same even after the German government and airport management attempted to reduce them without success.
Now, according to Ryanair, the proposed increase by the Belgian government will bring the aviation tax to 5 euros for every departing passenger, a step Ryanair defines as excessive, especially given the already high costs at Brussels Zaventem Airport, which have risen by more than 20% since the coronavirus pandemic. With a recovery rate of only 87% of pre-coronavirus traffic levels, the new tax is expected to further distance Belgium from the renewed growth of the European aviation sector.
Despite government claims that the tax is intended to discourage short-haul flights for environmental reasons, the reality presents a different picture. While regular passengers are required to pay higher taxes, connecting flight passengers and private jets will actually enjoy a tax reduction from 10 euros to 5 euros per passenger.
Ryanair argues that this imbalance proves the tax does not stem from real environmental concerns, but is intended to fill government coffers, expected to earn over 70 million euros – almost double the 42 million garnered in 2024.
Ryanair calls on the Belgian government to reconsider the policy and instead impose higher taxes on connecting flights and private jets, which are responsible for more pollutant emissions while leading only a small portion of passengers. Canceling this unfair tax increase will help Belgium join the European trend of encouraging aviation sector recovery and strengthening the economy.
"Ryanair continues to commit to affordable flights for passengers and will continue to fight policies that harm tourism and economic growth in Belgium," concluded the company's spokesperson.