Ryanair shuts Brussels airport base over higher costs

Irish airline Ryanair on Wednesday announced it will close its base at Brussels’ main airport in protest at the operator’s increased prices.

The move does not affect its activities at Brussels’ second airport, Charleroi, which is the low-cost airline’s main base in Belgium.

Ryanair in a statement said the decision was taken after the airport opted to increase prices by 11 percent from April 2023.

The airline had already suspended its activities over the winter at the airport, but Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary confirmed “we will not be re-opening” the base.

Ryanair criticised the airport’s decision “to jack up prices yet again… making it even more uncompetitive compared to other Belgian and EU airports”.

It said flights to 12 destinations from the main airport in Zaventem will continue on aircraft that are not based there.

Belgian unions said around 60 jobs were at risk. “That’s 44 cabin crew staff (air stewards) and 15 pilots,” head of the CNE union covering Ryanair staff, Didier Lebbe, told AFP.

“Ryanair’s decision will have a limited impact,” Brussels Airport said, confirming that 12 out of 16 journeys offered by Ryanair would continue.

The airport said they were forced to raise costs after “the sharp rise in energy prices” and “very high inflation”.

It added that the rates were set and checked by an independent regulator.

The announcement comes as the airline has been locked in a battle with air crew as they demand Ryanair fully applies Belgium labour laws.

There have been multiple strikes in the past weeks, grounding aircraft.

mad/raz/del/kjm