Travellers flying between Budapest, Hungary and the United States can once again enjoy direct connections, as daily non-stop flights between Budapest and Philadelphia restarted on Thursday after a six-year hiatus.

The seasonal service is operated by American Airlines and will run until 5 October, marking the return of a direct air link that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Faster connection to America’s East Coast

The airline originally launched its Budapest route in 2018, but international air traffic disruptions caused by the pandemic forced the service to stop two years later. Now, the connection is finally back, significantly reducing travel times between Hungary and the eastern United States.

Passengers will travel aboard a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with the route expected to carry up to 3,200 passengers weekly in both directions. According to the published timetable, the journey from Philadelphia to Budapest takes just under nine hours.

The direct route is expected to benefit both tourism and business travel, while also improving Hungary’s accessibility for American visitors, as reported by Telex.

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Tickets from EUR 300

According to current booking data, one-way tickets start from around HUF 110,000, (approximately EUR 306), meaning return fares can be found from approximately HUF 220,000 (EUR 613) under favourable conditions. Competitive prices are still available for several summer dates, including June and July, while September offers even wider availability at similar rates.

The relaunch of the route was celebrated with an official ceremony attended by executives from American Airlines and Philadelphia International Airport, alongside Hungarian diplomatic and economic representatives.

At the same time as the Budapest service resumes, the airline has also introduced daily flights to Prague, further strengthening its Central European network.

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