Bad news for those who like to fly: the federal government is increasing the flight tax through the approved program law. You will soon have to dig deeper into your pockets for both a short city trip and a long sun holiday. But what exactly does that tax entail, and how much more expensive will your ticket be? We list everything clearly.
Journalist at HLN
Source: VRT NWS
What exactly is the flight tax?
Officially we are talking about one embarkation tax (also known in politics as TILEA: tax on the embarkation of an aircraft). Simply put: it is a tax that airlines have to pay to the government for every passenger departing from a Belgian airport.
Good to know: Because it is a ‘boarding’ tax, it is not payable if your flight is cancelled.
How much more expensive will my plane ticket be?
The flight tax already existed, but the De Wever government is now increasing the amounts. Exactly how much extra you pay depends on how far you fly:
▪️ Flights further than 500 kilometers (long distance): from 2027 you will pay here 10 euros tax on. For comparison: since last year it was 5 euros, and before that you only paid 2 to 4 euros. So a doubling.
▪️ Flights shorter than 500 kilometers (short distance): The tax for these flights is currently 10 euros. But here too, the price will rise slightly in the coming years: from 2028 onwards 10.5 euros and from 2029 it will tap up to 11 euros.
It may sound illogical that the tax on a short flight (such as to Paris or London) is higher than on a long-distance journey. The reason is the environment: greenhouse gas emissions per passenger and per kilometer are on average much higher for short-haul flights than for long-haul flights. Moreover, Europe wants to encourage us in this way to choose the train as an alternative for short distances.
As a traveler, will you really feel that in your wallet?
Absolute. Airlines will not pay this government tax out of their own pockets. It is expected that they will simply include the increased tax in the price of your plane ticket. Your next flying holiday will undoubtedly be a bit more expensive.