Budget airline Ryanair has confirmed nine new routes from Charleroi Airport (Brussels South) as part of its winter schedule.
The new winter routes will be to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Cork (Ireland), Tel Aviv (Israel), Lamezia, Reggio Calabria and Trieste (Italy), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Gothenburg (Sweden).
The winter 2024 schedule begins on Sunday 27 October, although the route to Tel Aviv is contingent on the ongoing security situation in the Middle East.
Routes to Cork, Dubrovnik, Gothenburg and Sarajevo are a continuation of flights announced as part of the airline's summer schedule.
Meanwhile the route to Reggio Calabria is "brand new", and all other routes in this year's winter schedule are "back by popular demand", according to a Ryanair spokesperson.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said the airline is "pleased" to announce the new routes from Charleroi this winter. However, he noted that there are no new journeys from Brussels Airport in Zaventem this winter.
The company closed its base there in January 2023 after the airport announced it would increase its prices by 11% for airlines and passengers.
"Sadly, we have zero growth in Zaventem due to their higher airport charges, which they have increased again this year, making Zaventem more expensive than most competitor airports over Europe," he said.
Air control strikes
The Irish airline also called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to "urgently reform" Europe's "failing" air traffic control (ATC) system.
Flight schedules have been affected across Europe this year due to strike actions by air traffic control staff in a continued dispute over shortages, wages and working conditions.
"It is completely unacceptable that thousands of EU flights continue to be delayed or cancelled by ATC staff shortages and mismanagement. Ursula von der Leyen and the new EU Commission must act now to reform Europe’s failing ATC system, to deliver an efficient and competitive ATC service for the benefit of EU passengers and airlines," said O'Leary.
The Ryanair boss expects almost ten million passengers on his airline's flights to and from Belgium this year. This includes approximately 8.9 million at Charleroi Airport, and about 1.2 million at Zaventem.
