Ryanair aspires to conquer one-third of Belgian market

"We currently have 16 planes in Belgium - four in Zaventem and 12 in Charleroi. Soon there will be a lot more,” says Ryanair marketing director Kenny Jacobs in an interview with Libre Belgique. The low-cost airline has big plans for the Belgian market, aiming to grow by 20% next year to a total of eight million passengers.

"The model that we have established in Belgium, with an airport based on tourism (Charleroi) and another on business (Zaventem), works very well. We currently have 22% of the market in Belgium, but soon it will reach 30%," says Jacobs.

Ryanair has plans to offer more flights from Brussels Airport to major European airports and to Italy and Spain. The airline also intends to add more destinations in Scandinavia and Germany to its business network. From Charleroi, it will mainly focus on additional Mediterranean holiday destinations.