When will Charleroi Airport close in 2028?
The news came out on 25 July 2026 in Sudinfo, and airport operator BSCA then confirmed it to VRT: the airport will close completely in the second half of 2028. Not every source gives the same length, and we would rather show you the gap than pick a date for them.
| Source | Article date | Period announced |
|---|---|---|
| La Libre, VRT, The Brussels Times | 25 July 2026 | Second half of 2028, ‘several months’ |
| ch-aviation | 29 July 2026 | 15 August to 31 October 2028, 11 weeks |
| Travel Extra | 30 July 2026 | 15 August to 31 October 2028, 11 weeks |
| Air Journal | 2 August 2026 | About eleven weeks, mid-August to late October 2028 |
According to Air Journal, this window spares the peak of the summer season while avoiding winter constraints on the works. As of 7 November 2026, we found no dated press release and no timetable on the airport's website. The dates of 15 August and 31 October are therefore still to be confirmed by BSCA or the airlines.
Our news item of 2 August sums up the announcement: Charleroi will close for about eleven weeks in 2028. We will update this guide once an official timetable is published.
Why does the airport have to close completely?
Charleroi has only one runway. While it is being rebuilt, no aircraft can take off or land, and there is no second runway to take over, as there is at Brussels Airport.
According to ch-aviation, the runway has not been fully renovated for 40 years. It was lengthened in 2019, from 2,550 to 3,200 metres. VRT and The Brussels Times put the lifespan of such a runway at about 25 years. Air Journal says the surface has reached the end of its life and needs a full rebuild.
The works bring together several jobs carried out at the same time:
- rebuilding the runway pavement;
- modernising the drainage;
- renewing the runway lighting and markings.
BSCA says it is running these jobs together to limit the total length of the disruption. A continuous closure lets crews work 24 hours a day, instead of spreading the work over years of nights and weekends, according to Air Journal.
The timetable did not come out of nowhere. According to the office of the Walloon airports minister, Cécile Neven, SOWAER, which owns the infrastructure, and BSCA have been studying the renovation for several years, and they jointly settled how the 2028 works would be organised in November 2024.
What happens to flights during the closure?
Air Journal describes two options for airlines: move flights to another Belgian airport, Liège or Brussels Airport, or suspend routes until the reopening. Liège Airport has already said it is ‘ready’ to take part of the operations, mainly holiday and low-cost flights. Air Journal adds that several routes from Charleroi will have to be suspended during the closure.
As of 7 November 2026, we found no schedule published by Ryanair, Wizz Air, Pegasus or Air Corsica for that period. Nobody can tell you today which route will leave from Liège and which will disappear for eleven weeks.
To gauge what has to move, our records give an order of magnitude: from 30 October to 9 November 2026, 891 departures were scheduled at Charleroi, to 88 destinations, and that is the quieter winter season. Ryanair alone operated 104 routes there according to its website, checked on 4 November 2026.
The SETCa union, through Alain Goelens, wants guarantees that every destination will return after the reopening, and answers on the pay of staff placed on temporary lay-off. The question weighs all the more since Ryanair has already dropped 13 routes from Charleroi for winter 2026-2027: see our news item on the dropped routes.
Booking for summer or autumn 2028: what should you check?
Until a timetable is published, the rule is simple: look at the airport written on the booking, not just the city. A ‘Brussels’ flight with a low-cost airline may leave from Charleroi, from Brussels Airport or, during the works, from Liège.
- Read the airport code on the ticket: CRL for Charleroi, BRU for Brussels Airport, LGG for Liège.
- If you fly out before mid-August and back afterwards, check both legs: one may stay at Charleroi and the other change airport.
- Keep the email address and phone number on the booking up to date: that is how the airline announces a change.
- If the airport changes, work out the journey again. Liège and Brussels Airport are not reached the same way as Charleroi, and travel time matters.
To compare the other airports, read our comparison of Belgian airports.
What are your rights if the works cancel or move your flight?
European Regulation EC 261/2004 applies to a flight the airline cancels, whether the cause is a strike, the weather or building works. Three points matter for the 2028 closure.
First, the fixed compensation depends on notice. Article 5 of the regulation rules it out if you are told of the cancellation at least two weeks before the scheduled departure. A closure announced two years ahead gives airlines plenty of time to warn you, so do not count on compensation.
Second, a refund or another flight is still owed. Article 8 lets you choose between a refund of the ticket within seven days and rerouting to your destination, as soon as possible or on a date that suits you, subject to seats.
Finally, another airport is covered, but only on arrival: if the airline lands you at another airport serving the same city or region, Article 8 makes it pay the transfer to the planned airport or a nearby place agreed with you. For a departure moved from Charleroi to Liège, the text says nothing precise, so ask the airline in writing what it will cover before you accept.
The amounts, meals and steps are in our guide to your rights when a flight is delayed or cancelled.
And your car park near the airport during the works?
Nobody has yet announced what the official P1 to P4 car parks or the private car parks in Gosselies will do during the closure. We will not make it up. Two things are certain, though.
A car park near Charleroi is no use if your flight leaves from Liège or Brussels Airport. If you book early for autumn 2028, read the car park's cancellation terms before paying and keep the confirmation: if your flight changes airport, you may need to cancel.
Conversely, if you fly out of Charleroi before the closure and come back elsewhere, your car will stay in Gosselies while you land at Liège or Brussels Airport. Plan how to collect it before you book.
For trips until then, the airport is running normally: compare today's prices on our car parks page.
Frequently asked questions
Will Charleroi Airport really close in 2028?
Yes. BSCA confirmed a complete closure in the second half of 2028 to rebuild the runway. Air Journal reports about eleven weeks, from mid-August to late October; ch-aviation gives 15 August to 31 October 2028, dates still to be confirmed.
Will my September 2028 Ryanair flight leave from Liège?
Nobody can say yet: as of 7 November 2026, no airline had published its schedule for the closure. Liège says it is ready to take some flights, but several routes will be suspended.
Will I get compensation if the closure cancels my flight?
Not if the airline tells you at least two weeks before departure, as Regulation EC 261/2004 provides. You still choose between a refund within seven days and another flight.
Is the 2028 closure linked to the routes Ryanair dropped this winter?
No. The closure comes from the runway works, whose organisation was settled in November 2024. The 13 routes dropped for winter 2026-2027 are a Ryanair decision, which the airline puts down to the Belgian aviation tax.
Updated on 7 November 2026
