Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has met the CEO of Vinci Concessions, the company which co-acquired the Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport with the government earlier this month, the PM’s press chief said.
At the talks with Nicolas Notebaert in Paris on Tuesday, the sides reviewed development plans of the airport, Bertalan Havasi said. Liszt International will see investment worth over one billion euros in the coming decade, including the construction of a new terminal, he said. Vinci has agreed to turning Liszt International into the most successful airport in central Europe, he added.
PM Orbán with Nicolas Notebaert, the CEO of Vinci Concessions. Photo: MTI
On June 6, the government announced that it had bought an 80 percent stake in the airport along with Vinci, which had acquired 20 percent.
Here are the new leaders of the Budapest Airport
According to airportal.hu, the following officials will lead the Hungarian International Airport. The state-owned Corvinus International Investments Ltd, having 80% of the shares, will delegate Máté Lóga, a secretary of the national economy ministry, as president of the directorate. Other members of the directorate will be Ferenc Antal, a deputy secretary of the national economy ministry, László Parragh, the president of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Zoltán Guller, the president of the directorate of the Hungarian Tourism Agency.
Photo: FB/Budflyer
Vinci Airports, having 20%, delegated one member into the directorate, Emmanuel Robert Menanteau, who gained experience in the USA, North- and East Europe, and Southeast Asia.
The top officials of the Budapest Airport will be François Bérisot, the CEO of the Belgrade Airport, and Lorenzo Rebel, the financial deputy CEO of the Gatwick Airport.
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6 Comments
This is just NOTHER blatant example of the idiotic PRIORITIZATION’s of this Orban led Fidesz Government.
The list, just not from this commentator of PROJECTS – other commentators over LONG periods in time using this platform of communication – that are NEEDS of every Hungarian in there day to day lives, weather alone the future, or for future generations of Hungarians, this Orban – Fidesz Government, just is a HUMONGOUS failure in putting firstly – what’s best – what is NEEDED now for the citizens population of Hungary.
This airport expansion program, the NEW owners, there mates – it will be RIDDLED with, the pockets of Fidesz members supporters, there pockets being filled, in the engagement of there work, on this airport “planned” extension program/project.
PRIORITIZATION – needs NOW – investment(s) now, inclusive of Educators / Education, Hospitals, Health Services, Public Transport – just minor in number – of the LIST that factually can be COMPILED – that this Orban – Fidesz Government have – GIVE absolutely no PRIORITIZATION to, that see’s just these mention few, that are NEEDS – day to day needs of Hungarians – being over-looked in fact that is an insult – that we continue to be – ABUSED.
Hungarians – through SOLIDARITY – forcible, through DEMOCRACY – STOP Orban – stop this Orban – Fidesz Government in acts that are just an insult abusive to us, the citizens population of Hungary, our taxes – there use application of them, the WAY they continue to ABUSE them – REPULSIVE.
Going have to move some of that teacher salary money to fund this. Good thing Fidesz owns the airport and all the construction companies, and cement and other material companies. EU funding the Fidangsters after all. Shameful and disgusting. Hungary belongs to the old world of serfs and tyrants. Kick ’em out of the EU and NATO. Let the serfs rebel if they want to stay. Obviously voting isn’t going to change things. Too many pensioners, Serbs, Romanians, Slovaks…. bought by a sack of potatoes or a 1 time inflated pension check. Keep the serfs poor and their votes can be purchased more cheaply.
Putting politics to one side for a moment…. The expansion plans were already well advanced under previous ownership, effectively the new owners have simply rubber stamped them, which is exactly what everyone was expecting them to do. Fact is, Budapest airport is growing at a serious rate owing to the increased popularity of Hungary and Budapest in particular as a tourist destination. They’ve completely run out of capacity, the check in and arrival halls of 2A and 2B are full to bursting and without this investment, the airport simply won’t be able to process any extra passengers. They’re planning to even reopen the old T1 as a stopgap measure, using a lightweight construction departure lounge built on the site of the existing apron to provide modern air conditioned facilities with the old building only providing check in and arrival facilities. It is ESSENTIAL for the wellbeing of Hungary to get spades in the ground as soon as possible on the new terminal to ensure that growth isn’t impeded by something as banal as a lack of check in desks in the terminal buildings. The finances and to whom the contracts are awarded is a completely different matter, but giving the go ahead is a timely step.
SUFFERING and PAIN goes on then Londonsteve.
Poverty grows over 3 million of 9.7 million population living in Poverty.
PRIORITIZATION – the CLEAR picture under the Orban – Fidesz Government, of nearing 15 years HAS never PRIORITIZED it’s Governance of Hungary that – firstly :
(1) – what’s best INDIVIDUALLY for all Hungarians.
and secondly :
(2) – what’s BEST for Hungary.
The on-going CAPITULATION of the Hungarian economy – the on-going DECLINE in life quality, of an “ageing” decreasing population, a currency that is massively PRESSURIZED – just few of the cataclysmic NIGHTMARES factually happening in Hungary.
This Budapest Airport “expansion” program, likened to an Insult an abusive act, on the citizens in there MILLIONS of Hungary – living lives Saturated / Drenched in humongous Un-certainty.
PRIORITIZATION – the Orban – Fidesz Government – have FAILED the people of Hungary and this airport extension program just add to the LONG list of there FAILINGS.
It will ALL Worsen, as the DISTILLATION of Democracy gets DEEPER into of the past in Hungary, replaced by the “ways” of Hungary’s only (2) two country’s of friendship and relationships – Russia & China, that will sooner than later effectively be seen, that Hungary is Governed under Laws of Communism and a Dictator.
Londonsteve – do you BELIEVE they are a DEMOCRACY ?
Not a word about direct, modern,fast TRAIN CONNECTION to city center???
Best European airport without that is a JOKE. And BTW… luggage carts??? Another joke. 35-40 min for security esp around 4.30am… Long long way to go.
@Face the FACT(s) I deliberately didn’t want to stray into the territory of politics and my comment on the urgency of airport expansion has no political overtone, it’s just fact. Poverty isn’t going to decrease if the airport refrains from growing capacity in its terminals, quite the opposite in fact. New flights bring inward investment and tourism, the airlines themselves pay handsome landing fees and handling charges, in growing capacity the expansion becomes self funding as long as the underlying demand is there. The rate at which passenger numbers are growing shows that it clearly is.
I very much doubt the construction costs will be fronted by the government, the money will be borrowed from an investment bank who secures a charge on the airport real estate and assures themselves of the positive cashflow the investment will generate ensuring they will be paid back. The harm to the national budget has been done at the purchase stage, hereafter the ‘investment’ is self financing. Budapest airport isn’t suffering from a lack of runway capacity or general lack of space for passengers, its problem is ‘airside’, meaning at check in and in the arrivals hall where passengers are trying to use floor space that was designed to handle at most half the number of people that now use it. T2B was completed in 1997 when Hungary’s EU accession was a distant plan and when low cost aviation in Europe was in its infancy, a time when air routes were governed solely by bilateral agreements resulting in Malev and the other country’s national carrier providing air transportation. Passenger numbers were a fraction of what they are today.