Belgium: Ryanair cuts one million seats, Morocco routes threatened by tax hike

The Irish company has made drastic cuts: the winter season 2026-2027 will be marked by a 22% reduction in its capacity in Belgium. The plan calls for the withdrawal of five aircraft based at Charleroi airport and the closure of twenty routes, including thirteen from the Walloon platform and seven from Brussels-Zaventem. While the precise list of canceled destinations has not yet been made public, this massive contraction of the offer is particularly worrying for travelers to Morocco, as Charleroi is a historic hub for flights to Tangier, Oujda, Nador or Rabat.

This decision stems from a major tax dispute with the Belgian authorities. The federal government plans to increase the passenger tax to 10 euros in 2027, then to 11 euros in 2029. In addition, there is a specific municipal tax of 3 euros that the City of Charleroi intends to levy from 2026. Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s commercial director, denounces a "senseless" strategy that makes Belgium uncompetitive compared to other European countries like Sweden or Italy, which have chosen to reduce their air taxation.

The consequences could be severe for connectivity with the Kingdom. Ryanair mentions a risk for thousands of jobs and a withdrawal of $500 million in investment. Other airlines, such as Brussels Airlines, warn that they will have to pass on these costs to ticket prices. This price inflation is likely to divert some of the traffic to border airports like Lille or Eindhoven, reshaping the travel habits of the Moroccan diaspora.