New rivals for Ryanair at Charleroi

Two additional low-cost airlines are to join Ryanair in operating from state-owned Charleroi airport.

Ryanair currently accounts for the bulk of traffic at the airport.

Wallonia's Economics Minister Serge Kubla said today at a news conference that one Polish and one Italian airline had decided to start operations from the airport, which is 40km south of Brussels.

Earlier this week the European Commission ordered Ryanair to repay millions of euro in Belgian subsidies, a decision CEO Michael O'Leary condemned as a disaster for budget travel and traffic-starved regional airports.