Good news: Transatlantic routes could return to Budapest Airport next year

According to forecasts, Budapest Airport is expected to handle 14.3 million passengers this year. Traffic is expected to reach the record level of 2019 next year. In 2024, more transatlantic flights are expected to resume. As for the opening of Terminal 1, the operator is still waiting for the necessary permits.

The number of passengers at Budapest Airport approached one and a half million in July. It was the fifth month in a row this year that the airport has seen more than 1 million passengers, Kam Jandu, the new CEO of Budapest Airport, said in an interview with Aviation Week.

Jandu also pointed out that in the summer timetable, 121 destinations can be reached directly from Budapest with 38 airlines.

Record year to be reached in 2024

He forecasts that the airport will handle 14.3 million passengers this year. It will be just 9.2% below the record year of 2019, which is expected to be met again next year. By the end of 2024, thanks to favourable traffic trends, the airport will fully return to its pre-pandemic traffic levels and be back on a growth path, AIRportal.hu writes.

The CEO stressed that the re-launch of direct transatlantic connections between Budapest and New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto is one of Budapest Airport’s top priorities.

He added that he was confident that more direct flights to North America would return in 2024, and that direct flights to Xian and Chengdu, which were available before the outbreak, would be available again, in addition to the Chinese flights that had already returned.

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Terminal 1 awaits permits, Terminal 3 in the planning phase

Kam Jandu said that Budapest airport’s infrastructure is capable of handling over 16 million passengers a year at the current high level. Capacity could be increased by another 4.5-5 million with the expansion and reopening of Terminal 1. The construction of Terminal 3 will increase capacity to 30 million passengers per year.

The role of the airport and its development are also key because tourism accounts for around 13% of the country’s GDP, with a significant proportion of inbound travellers arriving by air. While the design and preparatory works for the new terminal are still underway, the development of Terminal 1, which is needed to open, is awaiting building permits, the CEO added.