FM newsroom – airport, BUD. The Hungarian Liszt Ferenc International Airport is in top form, with passenger traffic up by nearly 20% and freight traffic up by 50% by August, said Máté Lóga, State Secretary for Economic Strategy, Industry, Financial Resources and Macroeconomic Analysis of the Ministry of National Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Budapest Airport Zrt.
Explosive growth
In the first eight months of this year, passenger traffic at Liszt Ferenc International Airport reached 11.4 million, up 18.6% on the same period last year. The airport’s cargo throughput grew even faster, by 49.7% to more than 184,000 tonnes. The increase in performance is not due to a single month or event, but this year’s development is a trend, with total passenger traffic and total arrivals for each month both outperforming last year, the State Secretary said.
According to mti.hu, until August, the most popular destinations were London, Istanbul, Milan, Paris and Brussels.
Strategic importance
The NGM recalled that after more than a year of intense negotiations, the sale and purchase agreement of Budapest Airport Zrt. was signed on 6 June 2024, which returned the airport to national majority ownership after nearly 20 years. The Hungarian State acquired an 80% stake in Budapest Airport Zrt., while the French co-investor VINCI, which is also responsible for its operation, acquired a 20% stake.
Máté Lóga emphasised that the airport is a key economic hub and of strategic importance not only for passenger transport and tourism but also for freight transport.
The increase in performance seen so far in 2024 shows that with the majority of national ownership, the airport’s performance has continued to grow, and never before has the airport’s traffic been as high as it was in August this year.
The new owners and the operator aim to improve this performance even further. To this end, significant improvements to the airport could be launched in the coming years, paving the way for even more dynamic growth. The NGM said the aim is to reach 20 million passengers by 2030 and 25 million by 2040.
Image: bud.hu
Source: mti.hu
