The airport nobody loves (until it closes)

Charleroi-South Charleroi Airport is set to close for 11 weeks, forcing thousands of national officials, campaigners, and political staff to find more expensive routes to Brussels ahead of the next EU election. The shutdown follows a major runway rebuild scheduled for Aug. 15 to Oct. 31, 2028, overlapping with key political calendars including the opening months of Latvia’s Council of the EU presidency and the late run-up to the 2029 election campaign. Many see Charleroi as the “budget escape route” because it can connect Brussels cheaply with regional cities and countries where rail options are limited, especially compared with Brussels’ other airport, Zaventem. The disruption is expected to hit lower-ranking staff more than senior officials, since those travelers may have less flexibility to expense higher fares, and airlines may reshuffle capacity.