PHOTOS: Budapest-Balaton, Budapest-Vienna flights – quick and affordable

Hydroplanes used to connect the Austrian capital with Budapest, and you could reach Lake Balaton’s pearl, Siófok, from the Buda Danube embankment in less than half an hour. Travelling by plane was a viable alternative to train rides since it was quicker, not much more expensive, and there were no crowds. The business generated limited profit though, so companies cancelled their operation quickly.

Pestbuda.hu wrote about the heydays of Hungarian hydroplanes connecting Budapest with Lake Balaton and Vienna for an affordable price. The first plane took off from the Danube on 10 July 1923, a bit more than 100 years ago. The passengers were members of the “upper 10,000” due to the relatively high ticket prices, even though the planes then were loud and uncomfortable, and also small, compared to the service a train’s 1st class could offer. Furthermore, planes could fly only hundreds of kilometres without a stop for refuelling. Even though many chose this option to travel to Vienna or visit their families at Lake Balaton.

A hydroplane arrived to Siófok in 1923. Photo: Fortepan / ETH Zürich

Hydroplane flights not profitble enough

Balaton was ideal since neither end needed an airport. Planes took off from the Danube River and landed on the calm waters of Balaton. The elite class of Budapest regularly visited Lake Balaton, where three elegant casinos awaited guests. However, the trains could not provide enough 1st class seats for the upper class. Moreover, journalists then complained about the unsatisfying number of cars and fuel. With most roads unpaved, getting to Lake Balaton by car was a challenge. As a result, travelling by plane was a bit expensive but quick, and you always had your seat next to a window.

1924. Siófok. The beach with hydroplanes. Photo: Fortepan / Magyar Műszaki és Közlekedési Múzeum / BAHART Archívum

The hydroplanes took off from the Danube embankment in front of the Gellért Hotel. The speed of the planes reached 160 km/h. Thus, you could reach Siófok in less than an hour. Interestingly, there were no scheduled flights to Lake Balaton, the planes took off when there were enough passengers. In Vienna, regular flights departed at 9 AM each morning. The price of a return ticket for the plane reached 80,000 korona. But with passengers travelling together, that was went down to 20,000 on a return flight. Meanwhile, a 1st class train ticket cost 16,000. What is more, there were regular problems with the railway. For example, companies sold more train tickets than the number of available seats.

Hydroplane accident on the Csepel island. Photo: 1923 Fortepan / Weygand Tibor

Anyway, the Aeroexpress company organising such hydroplane tours was not profitable. As a result, the flights to Lake Balaton and Vienna terminated in 1926, and the company was dissolved in 1930. Interestingly, Aeroexpress exists again, and it would like to restart, among others, the hydroplane routes. We wrote about them and their ambitious plans to connect Central European cities in THIS article.

A Hungarian hydroplane in Austria in 1931. Photo: Fortepan / Fortepan/Album085