BusinessWallonia
Flughafensteuer

Kann Charleroi Airport Belgiens höhere Passagiersteuern verkraften, ohne Flüge zu verlieren?

Belgiens Low-Cost-Luftfahrtmodell tritt in eine schwierigere Phase ein. Ryanair hat bereits gewarnt, dass das Unternehmen 2026 rund 1,1 Millionen Sitze in Charleroi streichen könnte und 2027 weitere 1,1 Millionen, falls die Steuerlast wie geplant steigt.

Belgium Impulse Editorial·25 June 2026·3 min read·
Developing· 1 Primärquelle · Hintergrundquellen: 1 · some details remain unconfirmed

In 30 seconds

  • Charleroi Airport fertigte 2024 rund 10,5 Millionen Passagiere ab, etwa 11,7 % mehr als 2023.
  • Ryanair hat vor rund 1,1 Millionen weniger Sitzen in Charleroi im Jahr 2026 und weiteren 1,1 Millionen im Jahr 2027 gewarnt, falls die Steuern steigen.
  • Charleroi führte 2026 eine lokale Passagiersteuer von 3 € ein und verschärfte damit die Debatte über die föderale Luftverkehrssteuer.
  • Brussels Airport bleibt Belgiens größter Flughafen, mit mehr als 23,6 Millionen Passagieren im Jahr 2024.

Gegenstand ist

Place

Brussels

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

Why it matters

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

About

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region, and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

South
Organisation

Charleroi Airport

airport facing higher passenger taxes and possible flight losses

Why it matters

airport facing higher passenger taxes and possible flight losses

About

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA), informally called Brussels-Charleroi Airport, Charleroi Brussels-South or Charleroi Airport, is an international airport located in Gosselies, part of the city of Charleroi, Wallonia, Belgium. The airport is 7 km north of downtown Charleroi and 46 km south of the city of Brussels.

, betrieben von Brussels South Charleroi Airport SA, ein wallonischer Regionalflughafen in
Place

Gosselies

location of Brussels South Charleroi Airport

Why it matters

location of Brussels South Charleroi Airport

About

Gosselies is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.

und Belgiens zweitgrößter Passagierflughafen nach
Organisation

Brussels Airport

Belgium's largest passenger airport, used as comparison

Why it matters

Belgium's largest passenger airport, used as comparison

About

Brussels Airport is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 12 km northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the 26th-busiest airport in Europe.

in Zaventem. Sein kommerzieller Schwerpunkt liegt auf Low-Cost-Kurzstreckenreisen, mit
Organisation

Ryanair

dominant carrier warning it could cut seats from Charleroi

Why it matters

dominant carrier warning it could cut seats from Charleroi

About

Ryanair is an Irish ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest airline in Europe by scheduled passengers carried, fleet size, and total flights. Globally, it is the largest airline by international passengers carried, the third-largest by market capitalisation behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and the fifth-most profitable by net income.

als dominierender Fluggesellschaft und
Organisation

Wizz Air

low-cost carrier also present at Charleroi

Why it matters

low-cost carrier also present at Charleroi

About

Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Holdings plc, is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost airline group headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. Founded in 2003 by its current CEO, József Váradi, the company operates an exclusive Airbus fleet and is the world's largest operator of the Airbus A321neo aircraft.

ebenfalls vor Ort. Der politische Auslöser ist Belgiens Luftverkehrssteuerpolitik: eine von
Person

Jan Jambon

federal finance minister defending the planned passenger tax increase

Why it matters

federal finance minister defending the planned passenger tax increase

About

Johan "Jan" Martin Jozef Jambon is a Belgian businessman and politician of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) who has been serving as a Deputy Prime Minister and as the Minister of Finance, Pensions, National Lottery and Federal Culture Institutions in the De Wever Government since February 2025. Before that, he served as Minister-President of Flanders from 2019 to 2024. He replaced Kris Peeters as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2007.

verteidigte Erhöhung der föderalen Passagiersteuer, kombiniert mit einer kommunalen Steuer von
Place

Charleroi

municipality introducing a local passenger tax and city linked to the airport economy

Why it matters

municipality introducing a local passenger tax and city linked to the airport economy

About

Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not far from the border with France. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

in Höhe von 3 € pro abfliegendem Passagier, die 2026 eingeführt wurde. Die geschäftliche Frage ist, ob diese Steuern öffentliche Einnahmen und ökologische Preissignale erhöhen, ohne die Verkehrsbasis des Flughafens, lokale Arbeitsplätze und die Konnektivität zu beschädigen.

Background

Charlerois Luftfahrtgeschichte ist ein Fall postindustrieller regionaler Entwicklung. Der Flughafen wurde von einer bescheidenen regionalen Einrichtung zu einer großen Low-Cost-Basis umgebaut, nachdem Ryanair Ende der 1990er Jahre eingetroffen war und Charleroi 2001 zu seiner ersten kontinentaleuropäischen Basis machte. Dieses Wachstum verschaffte Wallonien neben dem Frachtflughafen von

Place

Liège

location of Wallonia's cargo airport

Why it matters

location of Wallonia's cargo airport

About

Liège is a city and municipality in the Belgian region of Wallonia, and the capital of the eponymous province. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands and Germany. In Liège, the Meuse meets the river Ourthe. The city is part of the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It is still the principal economic and cultural centre of the region.

einen zweiten Luftfahrtpol und half Charleroi, sich über die Schwerindustrie hinaus zu diversifizieren. Das Modell war jedoch stets zwei Belastungen ausgesetzt: der EU-Prüfung öffentlicher Unterstützung für Flughäfen und Fluggesellschaften sowie der Fähigkeit von Low-Cost-Airlines, Flugzeuge schnell zu verlagern, wenn Flughafengebühren oder Steuern steigen.

Context & what happens next

Impact

Regional — Die Auswirkungen konzentrieren sich auf Wallonien, insbesondere auf Charleroi und die weitere Wirtschaft des Hainaut. Charleroi Airport ist nicht nur ein Flughafen: Er verankert Parkraumbetreiber, Shuttle-Unternehmen, Hotels, Reinigungsdienstleister, Bodenabfertiger, Einzelhandelskonzessionen und die Gewerbezone Aéropole. Eine starke Kapazitätskürzung wäre lokal spürbar, bevor sie in nationalen BIP-Daten sichtbar würde.

Evidence
Developing · 1 Primärquelle · Hintergrundquellen: 1 · some details remain unconfirmed
Explore evidence
Brussels South Charleroi Airport
Publication date unavailable
Retrieved by ODIN:
25 Jun 2026
Read original
Brussels Airport Company
official
Published:
12 Jan 2025, 01:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
25 Jun 2026
Read original
FPS Mobility and Transport Belgium
Publication date unavailable
Retrieved by ODIN:
25 Jun 2026
Read original

Voices & reactions

What the main actors are doing

Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotations

Föderale Regierung und Unterstützer der Steuerpolitik

Jan Jambon und Unterstützer höherer Luftverkehrsbesteuerung argumentieren im Kern, dass Flugreisen fairer zu öffentlichen Finanzen und Umweltkosten beitragen sollten. Ihre Position ist, dass einige Euro pro Passagier im Vergleich zu den gesamten Reisekosten moderat sind und dass Belgien das Fliegen nicht dauerhaft unter Wert bepreisen sollte, nur um Airline-Kapazitäten zu halten.

Charleroi Airport, Ryanair und lokale Wirtschaftsinteressen

Die Flughafenseite sieht die gestapelte Steuerlast als Wettbewerbsproblem. Low-Cost-Airlines vergleichen Charleroi mit Flughäfen in Frankreich, den Niederlanden, Deutschland, Italien und Mitteleuropa. Wenn die Gesamtabgabe pro Passagier steigt, können Flugzeuge anderswo eingesetzt werden, wodurch Wallonien mit weniger Strecken, schwächeren Flughafeneinnahmen und einem lokalen Arbeitsplatzrisiko zurückbleibt.

Umweltgruppen und Befürworter der Bahn

Umweltorientierte Gruppen betrachten Luftverkehrssteuern im Allgemeinen als notwendige Korrektur, weil Kurzstreckenflüge im Vergleich zu Straße und Schiene von Steuervorteilen profitieren, insbesondere beim Treibstoff. Ihre Sorge ist, dass Flughäfen jede Steuererhöhung als Arbeitsplatzbedrohung darstellen, während sie Klimakosten und die Verfügbarkeit von Zug-Alternativen auf einigen Strecken ausblenden.

Passagiere in Wallonien, Brussels und Nordfrankreich

Reisende beurteilen die Frage vor allem nach Preis und Bequemlichkeit. Eine kleine Steuer kann akzeptabel sein, wenn Strecken verfügbar bleiben, doch ein reduzierter Flugplan könnte Passagiere nach Zaventem, Lille, Luxemburg oder Eindhoven drängen und zusätzliche Kosten für Zug, Shuttle, Treibstoff oder Parken verursachen, die im Ticketpreis nicht sichtbar sind.

The story, connected

Explore the people, places and ideas in this story

Go beyond the headline. Open a card for sourced context, maps, official links and the other subjects connected to this report.

Organisations

Charleroi Airport

airport facing higher passenger taxes and possible flight losses

In this story

airport facing higher passenger taxes and possible flight losses

Background

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA), informally called Brussels-Charleroi Airport, Charleroi Brussels-South or Charleroi Airport, is an international airport located in Gosselies, part of the city of Charleroi, Wallonia, Belgium. The airport is 7 km north of downtown Charleroi and 46 km south of the city of Brussels.

People

Jan Jambon

federal finance minister defending the planned passenger tax increase

In this story

federal finance minister defending the planned passenger tax increase

Background

Johan "Jan" Martin Jozef Jambon is a Belgian businessman and politician of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) who has been serving as a Deputy Prime Minister and as the Minister of Finance, Pensions, National Lottery and Federal Culture Institutions in the De Wever Government since February 2025. Before that, he served as Minister-President of Flanders from 2019 to 2024. He replaced Kris Peeters as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2007.

Organisations

Ryanair

dominant carrier warning it could cut seats from Charleroi

In this story

dominant carrier warning it could cut seats from Charleroi

Background

Ryanair is an Irish ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest airline in Europe by scheduled passengers carried, fleet size, and total flights. Globally, it is the largest airline by international passengers carried, the third-largest by market capitalisation behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and the fifth-most profitable by net income.

Places

Hainaut

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

In this story

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

Background

Hainaut, historically also known as Heynault in English, is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium.

Places

Walloon Brabant

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

In this story

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

Background

Walloon Brabant is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut. Walloon Brabant's capital is Wavre; however, the municipality of Braine-l'Alleud is slightly more populous.

Places

Brussels

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

In this story

area whose businesses could be affected by reduced route availability

Background

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region, and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

Places

Gosselies

location of Brussels South Charleroi Airport

In this story

location of Brussels South Charleroi Airport

Background

Gosselies is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.

Organisations

Brussels Airport

Belgium's largest passenger airport, used as comparison

In this story

Belgium's largest passenger airport, used as comparison

Background

Brussels Airport is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 12 km northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the 26th-busiest airport in Europe.

Organisations

Wizz Air

low-cost carrier also present at Charleroi

In this story

low-cost carrier also present at Charleroi

Background

Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Holdings plc, is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost airline group headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. Founded in 2003 by its current CEO, József Váradi, the company operates an exclusive Airbus fleet and is the world's largest operator of the Airbus A321neo aircraft.

Places

Charleroi

municipality introducing a local passenger tax and city linked to the airport economy

In this story

municipality introducing a local passenger tax and city linked to the airport economy

Background

Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not far from the border with France. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

Places

Liège

location of Wallonia's cargo airport

In this story

location of Wallonia's cargo airport

Background

Liège is a city and municipality in the Belgian region of Wallonia, and the capital of the eponymous province. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands and Germany. In Liège, the Meuse meets the river Ourthe. The city is part of the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It is still the principal economic and cultural centre of the region.

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