Budapest Airport reaffirms its status as “one of the best in Central Europe”

Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport has secured another major vote of confidence from travellers, winning Skytrax’s Best Airport in Eastern Europe award once again. The recognition, based on passenger feedback, comes as the airport positions itself for a new decade of growth — with a long-term development programme designed to expand capacity and improve the overall travel experience.

According to Budapest Airport, which is part of the VINCI Airports network, the award reflects both passenger satisfaction and the work of the wider airport community, from frontline services to the organisations supporting day-to-day operations.

The global ranking: Singapore back on top

Skytrax’s latest World Airport Awards list once again put Singapore Changi at number one globally, followed by Seoul Incheon in second place and Tokyo Haneda in third, according to AIRportal.hu’s summary of the rankings. The report added that the global top 10 also included major hubs such as Hong Kong, Tokyo Narita, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome Fiumicino, Istanbul, Munich and Vancouver.

AIRportal.hu noted that several well-known European hubs featured prominently, while others moved around the table compared with last year — underlining how competitive the rankings have become as airports invest heavily in infrastructure and passenger services.

Central Europe: a regional snapshot

Budapest’s repeated Eastern Europe win also stands out in a wider regional context.

AIRportal.hu reported that nearby competitors Warsaw and Prague did not make the global top 100 list, while Vienna retained a strong position. At the same time, the regional airport landscape remains intense: the Central European travel market is growing, airlines are expanding route networks, and airports are racing to build the capacity and passenger experience that can attract both carriers and travellers.

For Budapest, the combination of a passenger-voted award and a large-scale investment programme is a strategic pairing: one confirms current performance, the other is meant to secure the next decade — especially as the airport seeks to handle higher volumes while keeping queues, processing times and the overall passenger journey under control.

Budapest: “Best in Central Europe” again, with steady progress

For Hungary, the headline is Budapest’s repeat success: Skytrax has again named Ferenc Liszt International Airport the Best Airport in Eastern Europe, marking the thirteenth consecutive win in the category.

Budapest Airport said the award is based on Skytrax’s World Airport Survey, where travellers evaluate the airport experience across the full passenger journey — from arrival and check-in, through security screening, to boarding — as well as the overall quality of services.

Budapest Airport CEO Francois Berisot said the award reflects both passenger satisfaction and the success of the airport’s continuous development work. He also signalled that 2026 will be a particularly important year for the airport’s next phase of investment, as new projects start to move forward under the broader development programme.

AIRportal.hu also highlighted that Budapest has improved its position in Skytrax’s global top 100 ranking compared with last year, presenting it as part of a longer trend of gradual progress over recent years.

Terminal+ and the “Terminal 3” question: what is actually being built?

Beyond the trophy, the bigger story is what happens next. Budapest Airport says a Terminal+ development programme will be implemented over the next 10 years with a total investment of EUR 1 billion, making it one of the largest airport investment projects in Central Europe in the coming decade.

As outlined in the airport’s communication, the plan includes:

• a new main terminal building,
• a new passenger pier,
• and a broader package of modern infrastructure upgrades.

In practical terms, the airport is pitching this as a long-term competitiveness and capacity project: a larger, modernised airport that can strengthen Budapest’s international role while delivering a higher quality experience for passengers.

In Hungarian public discussion, these plans are often framed as a step towards a “Terminal 3”-style expansion. Budapest Airport’s own language focuses on the Terminal+ programme and its new terminal and pier elements — signalling a major structural upgrade rather than a purely cosmetic refurbishment.

What to watch next

The next key test will be whether Budapest Airport can maintain its service levels as traffic grows and construction ramps up. Awards can validate a moment, but travellers tend to notice most when airports are under pressure — peak-season congestion, staffing strain, or disruption from building works.

For now, Budapest Airport is clearly using the Skytrax recognition as proof that its direction is working — and as momentum behind its most ambitious development plans in years.

As we wrote, dates set at Budapest Airport for when upgrade, rapid rail line to the city centre will be completed