Finance Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) has ruled out revisiting the recent doubling of Belgium’s air passenger tax, approved two weeks ago.
Addressing the parliamentary commission on Tuesday, Jambon stated, “As far as I am concerned, decisions on this tax have been made.”
He added that while he has no plans to modify the measure, political parties are free to submit proposals during the ongoing budget discussions.
The government of Wallonia had earlier secured a “formal commitment” from Prime Minister Bart De Wever to reconsider this tax increase before its planned implementation on January 1, 2027.
Walloon Airports Minister Cécile Neven reminded the regional parliament of this agreement last week.
Concerns are mounting over the potential impact of the tax, which entails an increase from €5 to €10 per passenger. Ryanair, the low-cost airline, has warned it may cut two million seats at Charleroi airport if the measure goes ahead.
The carrier plans to withdraw three aircraft by September and another two by late October.
