The Belgian aviation tax, introduced nearly three years ago to discourage short flights, generated €42.3 million last year, according to Belgium’s Federal Public Service Finance (FOD Financiën). The De Wever government plans to “simplify” this tax, as stated in the coalition agreement.
Currently, flights within the European Union exceeding 500 km are subject to a €2 tax, while flights outside the EU over 500 km incur a €4 tax. These categories generated €22.1 million and €16.3 million, respectively, in 2024. The new government intends to increase the tax for both categories to €5.
For short-haul flights up to 500 km, the tax remains at €10, which contributed €3.9 million to the treasury last year.
In 2023, this so-called boarding tax brought in €40.4 million, meeting the €40 million target. The difference compared to 2024 is mainly due to higher revenue from intra-EU flights over 500 km, which increased from €20.6 million to €22.1 million.
