Another milestone has arrived in the series of developments ongoing at the airport: the second phase of the new pier 1 has been completed by the planned deadline, to the day.
The construction of the new pier is thus finished; Budapest Airport is only waiting to receive the usage permit. Once it is issued, passengers will be able to wait for their flights in convenient, beautiful and spacious surroundings, which also offer safe conditions from an epidemiological perspective.
The modern pier 1 replaces the earlier basic boarding gates, and is part of the cooperation between Budapest Airport and the Hungarian government regarding the long-term development of the airport.
Following the first phase handed over in January 2020, Budapest Airport completed the construction ofthe new pier at Ferenc Liszt International Airport on 22 June, and will open it for passenger traffic as soon as the usage permit has been received. The new building section increases the capacity of Terminal 2A by thousands of square meters, ensuring a comfortable waiting area for passengers that meets all expectations.
The investment project with a price tag of more than 11.5 billion HUF (33 million EUR) commenced on 19July 2019, and the construction of all parts of the building, including the connecting corridor to Terminal 2A, was completed in a record time of just 339 days.
Budapest Airport has thus fulfilled its commitment to complete the construction of the new pier for the start of the summer travel season.Construction works have been ongoing continuously over the past 11 months, even during the summer peak last year, without disturbing regular daily traffic at the airport. The investment is fully financed by Budapest Airport from its own resources.
Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, the CEO of Budapest Airport Zrt. emphasized: “During the handover of pier 1in January, we said a new year and also a new chapter is beginning in the life of Budapest Airport. The last six months has proven this to be true in all respects. Our industry must face unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic,which overwrites the lives and plans of many of us. But one thing has not changed: our strong belief in the continued and even increasing attractiveness of Budapest and Hungary as an air travel destination. That is why we continue thedevelopments at the airport, even in the current situation, striving to provide the highest possible service quality for our passengers.
With pier 1 we are ready on our part to welcome passengers back in an ultramodern and beautiful environment, which I am sure travelers will love, based on the positive feedback already received since the opening of the first phase of pier 1.”
The new, 11 500-square-meter building replaces former facilities of some 3000 square meters, and thus increases the space available for passengers by several thousand square meters.
Pier 1 ensures that passengers can arrive or await departure in convenience, in a bright, heated and air-conditioned building which also provides shops and extra services to satisfy travelers’ needs.
The new, single-story building with an internal height of 5.2 metersfeatures friendly and sustainable construction components, like wooden beams and lots of glass. This creates, together with the modern interior design elements, a unique and pleasant atmosphere. The hall provides 8 pedestrian boarding gates which are directly connected to the aircraft stands,enabling a smooth and convenient boarding process. There are also additional 6 boarding gates where busses transport passengers to aircraft parked onremote stands.
In the central hall, there are resting and waiting areas, retail and catering outlets, 3 accessible, large capacity bathroom blocks and a smokers terrace also serves passengers’ convenience.
It is a great advantage of the pier that the connection to Terminal 2A is implemented without passengers having to leave the comfort of the building at all after check-in, as they can reach the approximately 120-meter-long, spacious, heated and air conditioned corridor leading to the new boarding hall from the main terminal building via a connection building equipped with escalators and elevators.
The new pier has been implemented based on the designs of Lean Tech Mérnökiroda Kft., it was constructed by Market Építő Zrt., with technical supervision and engineering consultancy by HunGal Kft. The building structure was manufactured and supplied by the Dutch company Neptunus B.V.,internal designs were made by the DVM Group.
Source: Budapest Airport
