Calm conditions and seamless traffic at Ferenc Liszt International Airport

Traffic is seamless at Ferenc Liszt International Airport; with the exception of the suspended flights to Ukraine and Russia, services to all destinations are operating according to schedule. In close cooperation with the Airport Police Directorate and the embassies, Budapest Airport is accommodating refugees arriving from Ukraine in organized groups at Terminal 1. The evacuation flights transporting them will also depart from here.

There is complete calm at Ferenc Liszt International Airport, with flights arriving and departing as scheduled and passenger processes continuing as usual at Budapest Airport. Due to the airspace closure over Ukraine and Moldova, along with flight limitations over Russia, flights to and from Ukraine remain unavailable, as are flights to and from Russian destinations. Flights are suspended to 5 Ukrainian and 6 Russian airports, with a total of 35 flights per week. Overflights thus avoid Ukraine, Moldova and Russia, and follow the Romania-Bulgaria-Turkey route. Passengers at Budapest Airport experience the usual passenger processes at the airport, with flights to other cities completely unaffected by the conflict in Ukraine.

In response to the refugee situation, Budapest Airport contacted the embassies operating in Hungary, the competent ministries, authorities and aid organizations upon the outbreak of fighting, in order to ensure that the refugees arriving at the airport should be handled in an appropriate manner. As the stay, handling and departure of refugees from Ukraine at the airport requires special rules and procedures, Budapest Airport, together with the Airport Police Directorate, has developed the processes, infrastructure and care to ensure predictability, comfort and safety for refugees, while not disrupting normal passenger traffic at the airport.

As of Monday, Budapest Airport has been handling most refugees arriving at the airport in organized groups at Terminal 1. Over the last 5 days, more than 4000 refugees from Ukraine have traveled from Terminal 1 with 21 flights to destinations such as India, Ecuador, Israel and Morocco, organized jointly with the respective embassies, for which both the airport operator and the authorities provided full support. Budapest Airport supplies all travelers with food and drinks during their waiting time, and if necessary, helps them during their stay at the airport and ensures that they should be well looked after, with over 70 internal volunteers.

Refugees arriving individually and not in a group or in an organized manner and wishing to travel by commercial flights from Budapest, typically families, individuals or couples, depart as normal from Terminal 2, where they are assisted by Budapest Airport’s volunteers and terminal information staff, as well as personnel from the Airport Police Directorate. In many cases, they need assistance in making their airline bookings, providing other information necessary for their journey and, in some cases, the help of airport staff is required to contact relief organizations, find accommodation, temporary shelter or receive dedicated care.

Budapest Airport is also collecting donations. Cash donations can be made at the money boxes in the terminal buildings, while donations in kind can be dropped off at the designated collection points. The airport operator will send both types of donations to refugees in need through the Hungarian Interchurch Aid organization.

In addition, Budapest Airport has commenced the distribution of meal vouchers at the airport for all refugees fleeing the war with proof of their refugee status or any document, for instance a passport, verifying their Ukrainian citizenship. Budapest Airport will provisionally continue this until the end of March, and will then reassess the requirements of those most in need.