Wage talks stall at Budapest Airport, strike on the horizon

Budapest Airport, the operator of Liszt Ferenc International Airport, is facing potential labour unrest as negotiations over wage increases for 2025 have stalled. Despite the company’s record-breaking performance in 2024 and a profit of HUF 30 billion (EUR 75 million) for 2023, management has offered only a 4% pay raise to most physical workers.

According to Szabad Európa, the Airport Workers’ and Service Providers’ Union (Repülőtéri Dolgozók és Szolgáltatók Szakszervezete) has engaged in four rounds of unsuccessful negotiations with Budapest Airport, which is now 80% state-owned. The union is pushing for a 10% wage increase, arguing that the proposed 4% raise barely covers the expected inflation rate for 2025.

Record-breaking profits, low pay raise offer

Budapest Airport’s workforce is divided into four main salary categories, with Level I representing managers, and Levels II and III encompassing physical workers and their supervisors. The airport employs various specialised teams, including general maintenance, high-voltage system maintenance, navigation systems, and security personnel.

While Level II and III workers are being offered the 4% raise, employees of the Airport Fuel Service Ltd. (Repülőtéri Üzemanyag Kiszolgáló Kft.) have been offered a 10% increase. However, these workers reportedly earn about a third less than those in Level III positions, Szabad Európa writes. Level III salaries currently range from HUF 700,000 to 900,000 (EUR 1,745 to 2,245) gross per month, with additional bonuses that have remained unchanged since 2018.

The possibility of a strike at Budapest Airport has been raised

The union estimates that the proposed 4% wage increase would cost the company only a few hundred million forints for 2025, a fraction of its substantial profits. In 2024, the airport handled a record 17.6 million passengers and 300,000 tons of cargo. January 2025 saw further growth, with 1,293,000 passengers, marking a 17.5% increase from the previous year and setting an all-time record for first-month traffic, according to Világgazdaság.

Union representatives report growing dissatisfaction among workers, with many considering changing jobs if the wage negotiations fail. The possibility of a strike has been raised in internal forums, which would be the first such action since 2008.

Adding to the uncertainty, there are rumours of potential rationalisation and layoffs following the state’s recent acquisition of the airport. However, union sources and airport insiders suggest that several areas are actually understaffed, with increasing passenger numbers putting additional pressure on workers.

The government’s acquisition of the airport

Budapest Airport was repurchased by the Hungarian state in June 2024, acquiring an 80% stake, with the remaining 20% held by France’s Vinci Airports. The transaction, valued at EUR 3.1 billion, marked a significant premium over the 2005 privatisation price and the subsequent sale of minority stakes.

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