Another direct flight may operate between Budapest and America
In August, American Airlines announced, followed by Air Canada in September, that they will start direct flights connecting Budapest with Philadelphia and Toronto, respectively, next year. Now, a Central Asian private airline might join this distinguished group with a direct flight to New York.
Uzbekistan-Hungary-United States
According to the Uzbek press, a local private airline, Qanot Sharq, has planned to launch a direct flight between Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, and New York, with a stopover in Budapest. This would create another direct air link for Hungarians and travellers departing from the Hungarian capital to the United States, utilising relatively straightforward Airbus A330 aircraft.
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New York would be a highly important and in-demand destination from Budapest, and commentators on Budflyer, which reported the news, expressed shame that while there are direct flights to New York from Vienna, Bucharest, Prague, Warsaw, and even Belgrade, Budapest currently has none. If it were up to American airlines, this situation would be unlikely to change, since American Airlines plans to transport passengers from Budapest to Philadelphia from 2026, and Air Canada to Toronto. The former will commence in May with ticket prices appearing quite high (between HUF 363,000 and 500,000/EUR 925 and 1,275), and the latter in June. Both routes can be considered secure at least until October.
Previous attempts at a Budapest route have failed
Budflyer views the local reports about Qanot Sharq with some scepticism, as the airline has twice already failed to launch a Tashkent-Budapest flight. However, New York might be a more popular destination from Uzbekistan than Budapest. According to Kursiv Media, Qanot Sharq has already submitted an application to the US Department of Transportation to operate twice-weekly flights to JFK Airport in New York using Airbus A330 aircraft.
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At present, only Uzbekistan Airways holds permission to operate direct flights to the United States from Central Asia, making its Tashkent-New York route extremely popular not just among Uzbeks but also among passengers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The chances of approval look promising
Here is the twist: while Uzbekistan Airways operates scheduled services, Qanot Sharq plans to run charter flights, meaning they would only fly when there is sufficient demand. The airline owns six aircraft, including two Airbus A330-243 models, suitable for long-haul, non-stop journeys. Kursiv Media suggests that the US authorities are likely to approve the application because Uzbekistan has a much better standing with American officials than Kazakhstan, whose similar request might be rejected.
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Budflyer believes the Budapest-New York route still holds the greatest potential in terms of passenger numbers from Hungary to the American continent.