This Hungarian international airport will take over part of the traffic from closed Hungarian airport
Debrecen International Airport closed on Thursday evening due to technical reasons foreseeably for one week, and Budapest Airport takes over the handling of flights and passengers from Debrecen. Passengers who would have departed from Debrecen will be informed by their airline whether their flight will be diverted or canceled. For Budapest Airport, the diversions are expected to mean handling 3-4 extra flights per day, so in the current situation passenger traffic at Budapest Airport could exceed 55,000 per day. The airport operator provides assistance to eligible passengers waiting in the terminal due to longer flight delays at the support points set up at the beginning of the month, but will also offer drinking water outside the zones because of the heat.
Hungarian international airport takes over part of the traffic from Debrecen
According to Debrecen International Airport, due to the defect found on the runway surface, the airport’s operations are suspended foreseeably for at least one week, depending on the weather, while the runway is repaired. During this period, Budapest Airport will take over the handling of part of the flights originally departing from Debrecen. Passengers will be informed by the airline of what to do and whether their flight will depart from Budapest or be canceled.
Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest handles an average of 55,000 passengers a day during the summer peak season, and now this number will be increased by the addition of the passengers diverted from Debrecen Airport. Budapest Airport asks passengers to enter the terminals unaccompanied if possible, and if they have a boarding pass or are traveling with hand baggage only, to proceed directly to security screening. This helps avoid congestion in the check-in hall. Budapest Airport staff are actively assisting the flow of passengers on site: those with small children in the queue are called forward by airport staff, while security screening is quick and smooth, taking less than 5 minutes on average, and under 10 minutes even at the busiest times.
To make matters more difficult, due to the congestion of the airspace, air passengers across Europe, including Budapest, have experienced a significant number of flight delays and cancelations in recent weeks. In this situation, it is of utmost importance for Budapest Airport to provide a high level of care for its passengers, so it has designated dedicated waiting areas in Terminals 2A and 2B, where eligible passengers can wait and rest in comfort, and the airport operator provides food, drinks and female hygiene products, if necessary, as well as baby food, diapers and wipes for travelers with young children. In addition, due to the heat alert, the airport operator is providing free bottled water for passengers waiting outside the zones, and 13 drinking fountains are available to refill these bottles or the flasks brought from home.
Budapest Airport helps passengers
On top of this, the heat is also affecting the airport, with air conditioners running at maximum capacity in buildings to protect against high temperatures, but those near runways, taxiways and traffic aprons also need to protect themselves against the heat. Budapest Airport provides protective drinks and air-conditioned resting rooms for employees, offers water for passengers, and strives to make the passenger experience at the airport comfortable and smooth even in hot weather.
“The extreme heat is taking its toll on all of us, whether we are passengers or staff at the airport, so it is particularly important to operate the airport with even greater care in this situation. In recent days, we have distributed more than 10,000 bottles of water, doing our utmost to keep our passengers and staff healthy in the heat. Nevertheless, we ask them not to hesitate to seek help if they or anyone else feels unwell,” said Francois Berisot, chief executive officer of Budapest Airport. He also added: Taking over the traffic of Debrecen Airport is another challenge for Budapest Airport, as we need to ensure adequate capacity for the aircraft and passengers diverted from there, both in the terminals and on the aprons. Following the news in the evening, our colleagues have spent the night and this morning preparing for the extra flights and passengers, and we will ensure smooth passenger processes at the airport.
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