Internationally recognized, safe, clean – most Hungarians are satisfied with Budapest Airport

Reliable, modern, well-organized, continuously developing – this is what the majority of Hungarians think of Ferenc Liszt International Airport, according to surveys conducted by independent market research agency GfK Hungary. Three-quarters of respondents believe the Hungarian airport is clean, safe and easy to navigate, and a similar proportion of Hungarians regard staff as being professional and friendly. In contrast, road and rail access to the airport from the city center and parking are considered areas that clearly require development.

Upon Budapest Airport’s request, GfK carried out a representative survey in March and, for a deeper understanding, focus group research in September, to assess people’s impressions of Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Within the framework of the representative survey, opinions about the airport were evaluated using a sample of 1000 people (Hungarians aged 16-69, including passengers of Budapest Airport), whilst in the focus group research, nearby residents and travelers of various ages and purposes were asked important questions about the airport.

According to the results of the representative survey, the majority of respondents associated positive experiences, sentiments and memories with Budapest Airport.

Most Hungarians agree that the airport functions as a gateway for Hungary, it is internationally recognized, provides well-organized and professional services and implements continuous developments, to improve the passenger experience.

This outcome was confirmed by the participants of the focus group, who characterized the building as a high-quality facility, even by European standards.

Seven or eight respondents out of ten believe that the building is spacious, bright and clean, whilst two-thirds of participants said the airport is modern, stylish and has a practical configuration for passengers, thanks primarily to its logical internal layout, as well as to wayfinding signs and monitors.

In addition to wayfinding signage and screens, which now also display walking distance, Budapest Airport aids orientation at the terminal with information staff. Approximately three-quarters of respondents highlighted the helpful, friendly and professional staff as an important characteristic of the airport.

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The majority of respondents agreed that recent developments contribute significantly to a better passenger experience. For example, it is attributable to continuous technical innovation that large electronic items do not have to be removed from hand baggage since last year, and that Budapest Airport increased the number of screening lanes to 18 with the handover of two new channels this year. The new lanes are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, an automatic system which further accelerates passage through security screening.

Most people critiqued access to the airport and parking.

The majority of participants in group discussions regarded road access to the airport, the lack of a direct railway connection and the bad condition of the airport express road leading to Terminal 2 as the biggest problem. It is a general view that accessing the airport is stressful, due to the absence of a railway connection and the bad quality of public roads. Budapest Airport’s long-term development plans include the construction of a multimodal hub and a multistory car park, to make up for the multistory car park project commenced two years ago, which was stopped by the government. Many people also highlighted concerning public transport that the various different options are difficult to understand and that purchasing bus tickets is complicated.