Cabin bags at Charleroi: size and weight by airline

What size of cabin bag does each airline allow?

In our records of flights from 30 October to 9 November 2026, four airlines operated departures from Charleroi: Ryanair (739 departures), Wizz Air (116), Pegasus (31, all to Istanbul Sabiha) and Air Corsica (4, to Bastia and Ajaccio). Each sets its own limits. This is what their pages said when we checked them on 07/11/2026.

The airport's own trip planning page gives a general limit of 55 x 40 x 20 cm for hand luggage, adding that this must be checked airline by airline. It also points out that each airline sets its own cabin bag policy. At the gate, what counts is the rule of your airline and your fare.

Ryanair: the free small bag is 40 x 30 x 20 cm

Ryanair's general terms allow one small bag on board of up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Its baggage regulations add that its small bag sizers measure 42 x 20 x 30 cm. Many pages online still give 40 x 20 x 25 cm: that is the old size, still printed on the Ryanair sizer in our photo, taken in 2023.

The 10 kg case, at most 55 x 40 x 20 cm, is only included with the Priority & 2 Cabin Bags option, or in the Regular and Flexi Plus fares. You can add it to your booking or in the app up to 45 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Ryanair's table of fees lists it at €12.49 to €45.50, depending on route and date.

The other option is the 10 kg check-in bag. You keep the small bag with you and leave the case at the bag drop desk before security, then collect it from the belt on arrival. Ryanair lets you add it online up to 2 hours before the flight, or in the app up to 40 minutes before.

Wizz Air: 10 kg, even for the free bag

At Wizz Air, every passenger gets one free bag of 40 x 30 x 20 cm, which must fit under the seat in front: a laptop bag, handbag, briefcase or small backpack. The airline also sets a weight, 10 kg at most, which Ryanair does not do for its small bag.

The 55 x 40 x 23 cm trolley bag, up to 10 kg, comes only with WIZZ Priority, which gives you both bags on board plus priority check-in and boarding. It goes in the locker above your seat.

Wizz Air leaves handles and wheels out of the measurement, but the wheels must not add more than 5 cm. A few items travel on top at no charge: a coat or blanket, your phone, reading material for the flight and anything bought airside after security. A neck pillow, though, has to fit inside your bag. Otherwise the airline may count it as an extra item and charge its fees.

Pegasus and Air Corsica: different sizes

Pegasus links Charleroi with Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. On its international flights, the cheapest bundle, Light, includes only an under-seat bag of up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm and 3 kg. That is 5 cm thinner than at Ryanair and Wizz Air, so a bag accepted by either of them may be too big for Pegasus. The Saver, Saver Plus and Comfort Flex bundles add a 55 x 40 x 23 cm, 8 kg cabin bag and a 20 kg hold bag.

Air Corsica flies to Bastia and Ajaccio. Its cabin bag measures at most 55 x 35 x 25 cm, wheels and handles included, and the weight depends on the aircraft: 8 kg on the ATR 72, 12 kg on the Airbus A320. One extra accessory is allowed if it fits under the seat: a handbag, briefcase, camera or small laptop.

On the ATR 72, Air Corsica warns that cabin space is limited. Your hand luggage may then be taken at the foot of the aircraft, put in the hold and handed back after landing. We found no source on the aircraft used from Charleroi, so aim for 8 kg if you want to be safe.

What happens if your bag is too big at the gate?

Ryanair has a sizer at every boarding gate. A bag that does not fit is refused or, where possible, put in the hold for a fee: you leave it at the foot of the aircraft or in the gate bag trolley. The amounts Ryanair publishes differ from one page to another, so we list them all:

If in doubt, Ryanair advises having your bag checked at the bag drop desk before security. At the gate, there is no cheaper option left.

Wizz Air and Pegasus also charge for an extra or oversized bag at boarding and then put it in the hold, but neither publishes an amount on the pages we read. At Air Corsica, the items tolerated on top of the bag (coat, umbrella, duty free, medical equipment such as crutches) go in the hold free of charge if there is no room left on board.

How to measure and weigh your bag before you leave

Measure the bag packed and closed, outer pockets included: that is the shape in which it will, or will not, go into the sizer. Each airline counts slightly differently:

• Ryanair and Pegasus: their pages say nothing about wheels or handles, so measure the outside dimensions.
• Wizz Air: handles and wheels do not count, but the wheels must not add more than 5 cm.
• Air Corsica: wheels and handles are included in the 55 x 35 x 25 cm.
• Weigh the packed bag if your airline sets a weight: 10 kg at Wizz Air, 3 or 8 kg at Pegasus, 8 or 12 kg at Air Corsica.

If your trip combines two airlines, go by the smaller size of each. For the under-seat bag, that means 40 x 30 x 15 cm as soon as Pegasus is part of the journey.

What you pack matters too: liquids and batteries have their own rules, set out in our guide to liquids and the security check. For terminals and desks, see Ryanair and Wizz Air at Charleroi. And if you are coming by car, compare the car parks near the airport.