Airport developments exceed 130 billion HUF, major construction works continue

Budapest Airport launched a major development program in spring 2019, and over the past 5 years, the value of airport developments has exceeded 130 billion HUF. This spring, a new series of investments worth 17 billion forints will be launched, as part of which Terminal 1, which is under historical monument protection, will be refurbished and several infrastructure, capacity and quality improvement investments related to Terminal 2 will commence. Budapest Airport aims to further improve the high quality of its services in the long term, achieved with steadily increasing passenger traffic.

Budapest Airport handled more than 3.4 million passengers in the first quarter of 2024, 10.2% more than in the record year before the pandemic, and the growth did not stop in April either, with the country’s main airport handling 1.4 million passengers. The steady upturn means that annual passenger traffic is expected to exceed the 16.2 million recorded in 2019 and could surpass 30 million by 2030. Budapest Airport has been continuously developing the quality of airport services and the passenger experience for years, and May will see the beginning of several large-scale construction works at the airport, which will facilitate expansion and the high-quality services of the continuously growing passenger traffic in the long term. BUD remains committed to developing the airport, as it has demonstrated in recent years, helping the airport to attain and remain the best in the region and also become one of the best in Europe.

“Budapest Airport won a total of 24 Hungarian and international awards last year, which is the result of the dedicated work of the entire airport community. Over the last five years, we have invested 130 billion HUF in the development of the airport, which is confirmed by our four-star rating, the Best Airport in Europe award last year and the Best Airport in Eastern Europe award, received for the eleventh time this year. Moreover, based on the passenger satisfaction survey for the first quarter, we can say that the quality of airport services has reached unprecedented heights this year,” said Kam Jandu, the CEO of Budapest Airport. Concerning the works starting this spring, he emphasized: “We cannot compromise on quality in the future. Therefore, this will require the expansion of our current capacities and the continuous development of services at Terminal 2. Major works will start in May, laying the foundations for capacity growth across many areas, which will serve passenger satisfaction in the long term and ensure that Ferenc Liszt International Airport remains the best airport in the region.”

The design of a multistory car park in the immediate vicinity of Terminal 2, a short walking distance from the entrance, has begun. In the first phase, Relax Parking will have 2000 parking spaces on three floors. In addition, construction work on several projects will start on 13 May: the airport’s sewage network will be reconstructed and the drainage system extended to serve the airport’s needs for decades. In parallel, a new access road to the BUD Cargo City will be built, improving cargo servicing and ultimately providing direct and fast access between the air cargo handling complex and the M4 motorway, relieving congestion on the express road.

Major works will also start inside the airport perimeter fence in May, with earth filling works needed to build a new apron, to accommodate aircraft ground handling for the growth in traffic. The future apron extension will enable 12 aircraft to be served simultaneously and is the first phase of a significant apron development. In addition, Budapest Airport’s partners will soon be moving to a new, more modern and comfortable office building; tenants currently working in temporary premises will be accommodated in a new, two-story, 3000 square meter building, with construction due to start in June 2024.

Click here for the full story on the Budapest Airport website.