Reaction Brussels Airport regarding announcement Ryanair: temporary closure of Brussels base

 

Brussels Airport was informed today by Ryanair that they will close their base at Brussels Airport during the upcoming winter. This means that they will no longer station two aircraft at the airport the coming months and will no longer work with crew stationed in Belgium, but flights with foreign crew will continue to be operated. Ryanair represents 8% of total passenger traffic at Brussels Airport. Today, Ryanair has some 30 flights (15 rotations) a day at Brussels Airport, of which 10 flights (5 rotations) are operated with crew stationed in Belgium.   

Ryanair refers to the introduction of the Belgian flight tax for this decision, which was introduced while the aviation sector is still recovering from the covid crisis.  Ryanair also refers to its difficult relations with the unions in Belgium. And finally, Ryanair mentions Brussels Airport's new airport tariffs from April 2023. Brussels Airport has indeed consulted the airlines on this matter and its tariff proposal for 2023-2027 is currently being analysed by the economic regulator who will make a decision by the end of the year. This proposal includes an increase in fares to take into account the sharp rise in energy prices and very high inflation which has a strong impact on the cost of airport operations.     

The decision of Ryanair will have little impact on the network of destinations available at Brussels Airport. Although Ryanair's activities contribute to the overall offer of Brussels Airport, there are also other airlines that serve all these destinations, with the exception of Pisa and Amman. Brussels Airport expects that other airlines will be offering their services to these destinations. 

Tags: Ryanair,  Brussels Airport