Brussels Charleroi Airport Guide: Belgium’s Low Cost Base
Brussels Charleroi Airport is Belgium's low cost hub, 29 miles south of the capital. Read about its runway, terminals, airlines, routes and shuttle links.
By The Aviation Hub
6 min read
Updated October 20, 2026 
Brussels South Charleroi Airport sits at Gosselies on the northern edge of Charleroi, a former coal and steel city in Wallonia. It is the second busiest airport in Belgium and handled around 11.5 million passengers in its latest year. Brussels Charleroi Airport built that traffic almost entirely on low cost airlines, with Ryanair the dominant force and Wizz Air a strong second. The name promises Brussels, but the capital is 29 miles (46 km) away, a fact every first time visitor quickly discovers.
Brussels Charleroi Airport at a Glance
The IATA code is CRL and the ICAO code is EBCI. The airport lies about 4 miles (7 km) north of central Charleroi and 29 miles (46 km) south of Brussels. Elevation is 606 ft (185 m), on the plateau above the Sambre valley. There is one runway and two passenger terminals.
Traffic reached about 10.5 million passengers in 2024, up nearly 12 per cent, and grew again to roughly 11.5 million in the latest count. Ryanair runs its Belgian operating base here, and Wizz Air uses the field as a focus city. The operator is Brussels South Charleroi Airport, a company backed by the Walloon region. Shuttle times and parking deals are on the airport’s official website.
How Charleroi’s Airport Came to Be
Flying at Gosselies began in 1919 with a flight school. In 1931 the Belgian subsidiary of the British firm Fairey Aviation set up its factory on the site, beginning an aerospace tradition that continues today. After the Second World War the Belgian state ran Gosselies as a public aerodrome with modest civil traffic.
The modern era began in 1991 with the creation of the company that still operates the airport, and regional management took effect in 1992. Ryanair arrived in 1997 and later opened a base. Walloon incentives to the airline drew a European Commission state aid investigation, a court annulled the first ruling, and the Commission reopened the case in 2012.
Growth demanded new buildings. Terminal 1 opened in January 2008 with capacity for around 5 million passengers a year. Terminal 2 followed in January 2017, lifting total capacity to around 10 million. A runway extension at the 24 end was inaugurated in October 2021.
Runways at Brussels Charleroi Airport
The single runway is 06/24, asphalt surfaced, 3,200 m (10,499 ft) long and 45 m wide. The 2021 extension gave airlines more margin for heavy departures to Morocco, Turkey and the Canary Islands. The Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 of Ryanair and the Airbus A321neo of Wizz Air make up most movements.
The prevailing south westerly winds mean Runway 24 is in use most of the time, with arrivals crossing the countryside north east of the field. Easterly winds in settled spells bring Runway 06 into use, with approaches over the outskirts of Charleroi.
With no parallel runway, Brussels Charleroi Airport handled around 92,000 aircraft movements in 2024 on one strip. A full closure of about two months is planned in 2028 so the runway can be refurbished. Airlines will need to move flights elsewhere during that period.
Terminals and Airlines
Terminal 1 is the older building, and Terminal 2 sits alongside to relieve it at peak times. Both are functional rather than elegant, built to turn low cost aircraft quickly. Walk out boarding is the norm, and queues at security can be long on summer weekends.
Ryanair is by far the largest airline at Brussels Charleroi Airport, with a network covering most of Europe and much of Morocco. Wizz Air focuses on Romania, the Balkans, Central Europe and Georgia, with Armenia to follow. Pegasus Airlines flies to Antalya and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, while Volotea, Air Corsica and Air Arabia add French, Corsican and Moroccan links.
No legacy alliance carrier has a meaningful presence. Business travellers mostly use Brussels Airport at Zaventem, which leaves Charleroi focused on leisure, visiting friends and relatives, and diaspora traffic.
Routes and Destinations
Bucharest was the busiest route from Brussels Charleroi Airport in 2024 with about 344,000 passengers. Tirana came second at around 319,000, followed by Bergamo at roughly 311,000, Budapest at about 302,000 and Manchester at around 272,000. Those numbers show the airport’s mixed role as a diaspora and city break gateway.
Morocco is a major market, with flights to Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, Nador and Fez serving Belgium’s large Moroccan community. Spain, Italy and Portugal dominate the summer leisure schedule.
New Wizz Air routes keep coming, with Pristina due from November 2026 and Yerevan from February 2027. Traffic peaks in July and August and around the Christmas holidays. Cargo is minimal.
Getting to and from Brussels Charleroi Airport
The Flibco shuttle bus is the most direct link to the capital. Coaches run to Brussels Midi station roughly every 30 minutes, with fares from about 15 euros (around £13) when booked ahead, and the journey takes around an hour. A separate coach serves Brussels Central.
The cheapest sensible option is the combined bus and rail route. TEC bus line A runs to Charleroi Sud station in about 20 minutes, every half hour. From there SNCB trains reach Brussels in under an hour and also serve Namur, Liege and Mons.
Shuttles also run from Brussels Charleroi Airport to Luxembourg and Lille. Motorways link the airport with Brussels in around 45 minutes outside rush hour. Taxis to Brussels are expensive at well over 100 euros, and parking at the airport is plentiful.
Spotting and Photography
Brussels Charleroi Airport offers more variety than its low cost image suggests. The SABCA aerospace works on site maintains military aircraft, including F-16s, and Belgian military types appear from time to time. The field also saw a Dutch F-16 make a belly landing in 2011, without injury.
Roads and fields around the perimeter give views of both approaches, with the Runway 24 approach most reliable. Light suits the southern side of the field for most of the day. Winter fog can make photography a gamble.
Behave sensibly near the fence, do not block farm entrances and follow any instruction from the federal police. Drones are banned anywhere near the airport.
What Comes Next
The 2028 runway closure is the biggest operational event on the horizon, and the airport is planning how to keep airlines and passengers on side. Terminal capacity is close to its limit, so more space will be needed if growth continues.
Noise remains a sensitive issue in the surrounding villages, and the Walloon government balances jobs against local opposition. Ryanair’s leverage over fees and incentives will shape the next decade.
Brussels Charleroi Airport is heading for continued low cost growth, with the runway works a short pause rather than a turning point. Compare it with Brussels Zaventem and Liege on the Airports of the World map.
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