Previously, at least two of the three aircraft were reliably stationed in Budapest. When required to depart, they were subject to little, if any, scrutiny, owing to their ownership by some of the wealthiest figures associated with the Orbán regime—individuals seldom troubled by inconvenient questions. That may now have changed. The jets are no longer based in Hungary. Some suggest the reason is simple: fear. And should a hasty departure be necessary, the Schengen border can just as easily be crossed by car.
Budapest no longer safe for private jets?
Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi has revealed that, in his words, “private jets bearing the registrations OE-LOT, OE-IAV and OE-HUG, all linked to the elite of the Orbán regime, are no longer in Budapest but at Vienna International Airport.” According to an insider, at least two of these aircraft were previously almost always parked in Budapest and typically departed from there.
In late April, two weeks after the elections, Britain’s The Guardian reported a notable increase in private jets linked to individuals who had prospered under the Orbán government regularly departing from Vienna. Their assessment was that these flights may be part of efforts to move accumulated wealth abroad. Destinations cited by sources include the Persian Gulf, Australia and Singapore, while some are reportedly seeking to obtain US visas. One prominent businessman associated with the Orbán system, Gyula Balásy, appeared on the Tisza Party-linked programme Kontroll, where he broke down in tears and offered to hand over his companies—along with part of his fortune—to the state. Others, however, appear to be contemplating a different course.
According to one pilot, the aircraft are now parked in Vienna because their owners are gripped by anxiety. The three jets are linked to the business circles of Lőrinc Mészáros and László Szíjj, both of whom rose to prominence during Orbán’s tenure. Mészáros, in particular, became Hungary’s richest man within a matter of years, despite not even qualifying as a mid-sized entrepreneur in the early 2010s.
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Valuable assets
Panyi suggests a straightforward explanation: previously, these aircraft were either not inspected at all or only minimally when taking off from the Hungarian capital. Following the elections, however, Péter Magyar made clear that he would not tolerate the export of wealth and called upon authorities to prevent it. Balásy—who had previously received government communications contracts worth hundreds of billions of forints—appeared to lose his nerve almost immediately.
As a result, even figures such as Mészáros can no longer be certain their aircraft would be permitted to depart Budapest without thorough inspection. By contrast, the Austrian–Hungarian Schengen border remains easily traversable by car, should they decide that leaving the country is necessary. Moreover, the aircraft themselves represent assets of considerable value—assets that Hungarian authorities could seize in the course of legal proceedings. In such a scenario, tens of billions of forints in accumulated wealth could vanish at a stroke.
If you missed our preivous articles about the new Magyar government:
Russian drone strikes hit Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region with significant ethnic Hungarian population, Hungarian FM reacts – photos
Péter Magyar will cost less for the taxpayers than Orbán as prime minister
