Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport ( hu, Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér) , formerly known as ''Budapest Ferihegy International Airport'' and still commonly called just ''Ferihegy'', is the
international airport serving the Hungarian capital city of
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
. It is by far the
largest of the country's four commercial airports, ahead of
Debrecen
Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and ...
and
Hévíz–Balaton. The airport is located southeast of the center of Budapest (bordering Pest county) and was renamed in 2011 in honour of the most famous Hungarian composer
Franz Liszt ( hu, Liszt Ferenc) on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth.
It offers international connections primarily within Europe, but also to Africa, to the Middle East, to North America and to the Far East. In 2019, the airport handled 16.2 million passengers. The airport is the headquarters and primary hub for
Wizz Air
Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
and base for
Ryanair. In 2012 it experienced a significant drop in aircraft movements and handled cargo, primarily due to the collapse of
Malév Hungarian Airlines
MALÉV Ltd. ( hu, Malév Zrt.), which did business as MALÉV Hungarian Airlines ( hu, Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat, abbreviated ''MALÉV'', ), was the flag carrier of Hungary from 1946 until 2012. Its head office was in Budapest, with i ...
earlier in the year, hence losing a large portion of connecting passengers. It had been the hub for Malév until the airline's bankruptcy on 3 February 2012.
[Dunai, Marton and Gergely Szakacs.]
Rivals swoop in as Hungary's Malev stops flying
." ''Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was esta ...
''. Friday 3 February 2012.
In 2015 North-American and Middle-Eastern carriers announced direct flights to Budapest. In 2018
LOT Polish Airlines made Budapest their first hub outside Poland, launching with year-round flights to
New York-JFK and
Chicago-ORD. In 2018,
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
resumed flights to Budapest.
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
this time flew from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, after flights from
New York-JFK were suspended in 2011. PHL-BUD operated for the two summers of 2018 and 2019, May–October, and was planned to continue the following summers as well.
Chicago-ORD flights were planned to start in 2020, but were axed in
April 2020, just a month before the
inaugural flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alw ...
.
LOT Polish Airlines axed their
Chicago-ORD flight in August 2019, just days after
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
announced plans to operate the same route starting May 2020. Nowadays, the Budapest hub of
Wizz Air
Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
is the largest of all with more than 60 destinations.
Name
Originally called Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (''Budapest Ferihegy Nemzetközi Repülőtér''), on 25 March 2011 it was officially renamed Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, in honor of the Hungarian pianist and composer
Franz Liszt (Modern Hungarian: ''Liszt Ferenc''). Popularly, the airport is still called Ferihegy as before.
Ferihegy is the name of the neighborhood around the airport. The name is derived from that of Ferenc Xavér Mayerffy (1776–1845), the former owner of an estate who established vineyards and contributed to the development of
viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
in Pest-Buda. "Feri" is a diminutive form of Ferenc while "hegy" means mountain. In fact, the area is almost totally flat; but originally there was a 147 m high sandy hillock which was leveled in the 1940s during the construction work of the airport.
History
Designing and construction (1939–1944)
In 1938, the idea of building a new airport in Budapest was born. The area in the boundary of three settlements (Pestszentlőrinc, Rákoshegy and Vecsés) was assigned as the area of the new airport. The airport was intended as jointly for civil-military-sporting purposes. Civil facilities were to be built up in the northwestern section and military ones in the southwestern section. Just as for each building, a public tender was invited for the designing and construction of the traffic building.
In December 1939, upon an announcement of the results of the tender invited in September that year, the designs of Károly Dávid Jr. (1903–1973) were chosen. The designer, who was one of the originators of modern Hungarian architectural art, dreamt of a building which resembled an aircraft from the top-side view. The work commenced in 1942. To approach the airport from the city, a high-speed road was constructed between 1940 and 1943, which, after improvements, remains in use today.
The military buildings were constructed parallel to the civil construction from 1940 but, due to the war situation, faster. Aviation started at the airport in 1943. In wartime, the civil construction slowed down and then stopped at the beginning of 1944. Towards the end of World War II, many of the airport buildings were damaged. By the end of 1944, Budapest and its airport were under Soviet occupation.
Reconstruction (1947–1950)
In 1947, it was decided that the airport would be reconstructed for civil aviation. Under the three-year plan, 40 million forints were voted for those works. The opening ceremony was held in May 1950 and the sections finished allowed Magyar-Szovjet Polgári Légiforgalmi Rt. (Hungarian-Soviet Civil Aviation Co. Ltd. – MASZOVLET), established in 1946, to operate here. At that time the airlines operated only a few foreign flights, in particular, those to
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
,
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
,
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
, and
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
.
Magyar Légiforgalmi Vállalat (Hungarian Airlines – Malév) was established on 25 November 1954. The first regular flight taking off from the airport to the West was the Malév's flight into Vienna in summer 1956. The first Western airline which launched a flight to Budapest was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in 1957. The traffic building was finished in this period and the lengthening works of the runway were started. At the end of 1958 the runway was lengthened to and taxiway D was finished.
Continued growth (1960–1980)
Between its opening and 1960, the number of landings at the Airport increased from 4,786 to 17,133, with passenger traffic increasing from 49,955 to 359,338 by 1960.
In 1965, a study was made on the development of the airport, which was implemented with more than a 10-year delay from the end of the 1970s. Aviation, airport, and flight control all called for more capacity and infrastructure. The Aviation and Airport Directorate (LRI) was established on 1 January 1973 and performed as an airline company, a trading company, and an authority, as well as investment, operator, and air navigation tasks.
In 1974, passenger traffic reached one million. In 1977, a new control tower was built, as well as a second runway parallel to the old one and a technical base for maintaining MALÉV aircraft. Use of the new runway was started in September 1983.
New infrastructure (1980–2000)
![B762ER_Malev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/B762ER_Malev.jpg)
In 1980, the number of landing aircraft and passengers served reached 32,642 and 1,780,000, respectively. The growing number of passengers called for more capacity. A new terminal was decided upon. The foundation-stone of the new passenger traffic building to be built was laid down on 16 November 1983. Since 1 November 1985, passengers have been received in Terminal 2, a 24,000-square-meter facility funded with Austrian loans under general contracting. It was used first by Malév aircraft and passengers, and then by those of Lufthansa, Air France, and Swissair. The old terminal continued to receive residual airline traffic under a new name, Terminal 1.
There was an
IED bus attack against Russian Jewish emigrants on the road leading to Ferihegy in the early 1990s. The perpetrators were members of the German Communist organisation
Red Army Faction
The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970.
The ...
.
In 1993, Malév launched the airport's first Hungarian overseas flight, to New York. According to the traffic figures forecast for the millennium, the two terminals serving 4 million passengers a year promised to be insufficient. The construction of Terminal 2B was started in 1997. The new building, with more than 30,000 square meters of space, together with a new apron, was opened in 1998, with all foreign airlines moving there. Terminal 2B can receive 3.5 million passengers a year, with its seven gates and five remote stands.
Public to public-private ownership (2000–2012)
![Ferihegy2_repülőgép-állások](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Ferihegy2_rep%C3%BCl%C5%91g%C3%A9p-%C3%A1ll%C3%A1sok.jpg)
On 8 December 2005, a 75% stake in Ferihegy Airport was bought by BAA plc for 464.5 billion HUF (approx. US$2.1 billion), including the right of operation for 75 years.
On 20 October 2006, BAA announced intentions to sell its stake in Budapest Airport to a consortium led by the German airport group, HOCHTIEF AirPort GmbH, subject to the consent of the Hungarian State.
On 18 April 2007, the renovation of Terminal 1 at Ferihegy was awarded Europe's most prestigious heritage preservation prize, the Europa Nostra award. The designers, contractors, builders and investors (the latter being BA) received the joint award of the European Commission and of the pan-European heritage preservation organisation Europa Nostra for the renovation of the protected monument spaces, the central hall, the gallery and the furniture at T1.
On 6 June 2007, BAA and a consortium led by HOCHTIEF AirPort (HTA) formally closed and completed the transaction of the sale of BAA's shares in Budapest Airport (BA) to the HOCHTIEF AirPort Consortium. The ownership of the HOCHTIEF AirPort Consortium was as follows: HOCHTIEF AirPort (49.666%) and three financial investors: Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal (23.167%), GIC Special Investments, Singapore (23.167%) and KfW IPEX-Bank, Frankfurt (4.0%).
On 26 July 2010, after completing a security oversight investigation in May,
the EU authorities revoked Budapest Airport's official "Schengen Clear" certification, due to serious lapses observed in personal security check procedures and unauthorised passing of banned objects. This meant passenger connecting via another airport in the Schengen Zone would have to be rescreened through security, just as foreign non-Schengen connecting passengers, causing delays and inconvenience. The airport argued that it had not yet had time to fully implement new security measures introduced on 29 April 2010, and inspired by the
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...
' Amsterdam "underwear bomb scare" incident. The airport's layout was also cited as an excuse for the failure. Budapest Airport was the first airport to be checked through a stringent undercover evaluation for compliance with the new regulation. (Hungarian state news agency MTI reports
) In response, additional security measures were immediately implemented at Budapest Airport causing flight delays at both terminals. Unusually long passenger waiting queues were observed at the busier 2A-B terminal complex's departures area. These problems were solved over time, especially through the opening of the SkyCourt terminal including a central security zone.
On 15 November 2010, Budapest Airport regained the "Schengen Clear"-status, after implementing the necessary security actions and after that, the airport underwent the strict re-inspection.
On 16 March 2011, the name of Budapest Ferihegy International Airport was changed to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
Sky Court, the new expansion project including shops, restaurants and lounges, also connecting Terminals 2A and 2B was opened on 27 March 2011. In summer that year, the refurbishing of the old terminal parts in T2 began and was completed in 2012.
Collapse of Malév and aftermath (2012–)
In the wake of the collapse of
Malév,
Ryanair announced that it would expand its flights to Liszt airport. Ryanair began selling the flight tickets to the public, but Budapest airport said that the company had not secured all of the necessary slots (which were later negotiated successfully). By 9 February 2012, only six days after the collapse of the Hungarian national carrier, Liszt Ferenc Airport had recovered over 60% of its point to point traffic. Airlines that announced that new services would begin included
Wizz Air
Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
,
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A. ( el, Αερογραμμές Αιγαίου Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία ''Aeroporía Aigaíou Anónimi Etairía'', ) is the flag carrier airline of Greece and the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carri ...
,
Air Berlin
Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG (), branded as airberlin or airberlin.com was a major German airline. At its peak, it was Germany's second-largest airline, as well as Europe's tenth-largest airline in terms of passengers carried. It was h ...
,
Lufthansa, and
Ryanair.
However, the airport had lost Malév's transfer passengers, which, prior to the airline's collapse, had amounted to 1.5 million passengers per year. A second effect of the Malév collapse was that the areas used to service the Malév fleet would no longer generate revenue even once point to point traffic had been restored. These factors created significant financial shortfalls in the airport's revenues.
In February 2012,
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA, ) is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. The airline is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax. It is the largest civilian-run and majority state-owned air transport company, ...
announced that they would cease services to Beijing from Budapest. Prior to the collapse of Malév, Hainan had a partnership with Malév, which included a codeshare.
In May 2013, Hochtief Group announced the sale of its Airports unit HOCHTIEF AirPort which held a stake in the Budapest Airport and other airports to the Canadian Pension fund Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). Following the sale HOCHTIEF AirPort was renamed AviAlliance.
From June 2015,
transatlantic flight
A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing air ...
s were restored with two carriers flying to Toronto and Montreal.
As of July 2015, the ownership of Budapest Airport is as follows: AviAlliance (52.666%) owned by PSP Investments, Canada, Malton Investment (22.167%) owned by GIC Special Investments, Singapore, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Canada (20.167%) and KfW IPEX-Bank, Germany (5%).
Latest developments, opening of LOT Polish Airlines’ base
![Budapest Airport-201402](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Budapest_Airport-201402.jpg)
An expenditure of 261 million euros was spent in order to expanding and modernising the airports infrastructure until December 2012. Several of these future projects involve about further 300 million euros, and depends on regulatory decisions as well as third-party investors. Since 2011, several projects have been completed, including the refurbishment of Terminals 2A and 2B including the inauguration of the ''Skycourt'' main departures hall in 2012 and an extension of Terminal 2B in 2018, the construction of a new business and cargo area called ''Budapest Airport Business Park'' as well as a new airport hotel and expanded car parking facilities.
In 2014
Emirates
Emirates may refer to:
* United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country
* Emirate, any territory ruled by an emir
** Gulf emirates, emirates located on the Persian Gulf
** Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, the individual emirates
* The Emirat ...
opened daily flights to Dubai, UAE using the
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. It was followed by
Air China's flights to
Beijing Capital and an
Air Transat
Air Transat is a Canadian airline based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1986, it is the country's third-largest airline behind Air Canada and WestJet, operating scheduled and charter flights serving 60 destinations in 25 countries. Air Transa ...
connection to
Toronto Pearson
Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surro ...
, both using the
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus.
Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner in the mid-1970s. Then the company began development on the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A340 ...
. As a response to that
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...
started their operation to Budapest by
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Rouge, ''Rouge'' meaning "red" in French, is a subsidiary of Air Canada. It is fully integrated into the Air Canada mainline and Air Canada Express networks; flights are sold with AC flight numbers but are listed as "operated by Air ...
operated by the
Boeing 767-300
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
. By 2017
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Rouge, ''Rouge'' meaning "red" in French, is a subsidiary of Air Canada. It is fully integrated into the Air Canada mainline and Air Canada Express networks; flights are sold with AC flight numbers but are listed as "operated by Air ...
has taken over the market completely.
In July 2017,
LOT Polish Airlines announced the commencement of direct flights to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
and
New York, making them the first flights to the United States since
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
and
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
stopped flying to Budapest in 2011. New York is served four times, Chicago twice a week with LOT's flagship
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
. In the same year the airline added connections to
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
and
London–City. Right after LOT,
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
announced their seasonal new flight to
Philadelphia Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is the primary airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airport served 19.6 million passengers annually in 2021, making it the 21st busiest airport in the United States. The airport is located from t ...
which is operated by their
Boeing 767 aircraft. In 2020 the airline opens their new route to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
with
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
. In 2019
Shanghai Airlines
Shanghai Airlines () is an airline headquartered in Shanghai. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, but its operations remain separate post-merger, retaining its distinct brand and livery. Shanghai Airlines operates domestic ...
launched a four-time weekly service to
Shanghai–Pudong also with
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
. In 2019
LOT Polish Airlines announced a massive expansion program with new flights to
Belgrade,
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
,
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
,
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
,
Seoul–Incheon,
Stuttgart and
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
. The flights will be operated by the airline's
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
and the
Embraer E-Jet family. However, such a plan has not yet been materialized so far.
Future
There are further projects for the expansion of the airport, including a new cargo facilities area as well as a new Terminal 3, formerly called Terminal 2C and originally planned by 2020. In a 2021 interview, however, the newly appointed CEO stated that the construction of the new passenger hall could commence in 2025.
In 2020, according to a report from Bloomberg, it was reported that the
Hungarian government
The Government of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország Kormánya) exercises executive power in Hungary. It is led by the Prime Minister, and is composed of various ministers. It is the principal organ of public administration. The Prime Minister (''miniszt ...
was looking at buying the airport from its foreign owners such as
GIC (Singaporean sovereign wealth fund)
GIC Private Limited is a sovereign wealth fund in Singapore that manages its foreign reserves. Established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, its mission is to preserve and enhance the ...
and Canadian
AviAlliance. Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán
Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian politician who has served as prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has presided over Fidesz since 1993, with a brief break between ...
was opposed to the 2005 privatization.
Terminals
![Liszt Ferenc Repuloter 2-es terminal varocsarnok 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Liszt_Ferenc_Repuloter_2-es_terminal_varocsarnok_06.JPG)
The airport's passenger buildings consist of four main areas:
* Terminal 1 is only used for charter and private flights
* Terminal 2A is used for flights inside the
Schengen Area
* Terminal 2B is used for flights outside the
Schengen Area
* Sky Court, a large central waiting and shopping area, also the connection of Terminals 2A and 2B
Terminal 1 (closed)
From 1 September 2005, re-opened Terminal 1 served low-cost carriers. Terminal 1 is divided into
Schengen
The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
and Non-Schengen boarding gates.
Being located within the premises of Budapest, it offers faster public transport time to the city center, compared to the Terminal 2 about 3 kilometres farther. (Terminal 1 offers an about 20 minutes direct train journey to Budapest city center, while Terminal 2 requires an 8-minute bus ride to the train station).
On 14 March 2012, Budapest Airport announced that due to the traffic levels being too low in Terminal 1, extra capacity in Terminal 2, and cost saving, Terminal 1 will be closed temporarily. On 30 May 2012 all airlines were moved to Terminal 2, the low-cost airlines using now the check-in desks at hall 2B and gates at a makeshift shed outside the main building. This shed now does not operate, a new pier was opened instead.
Sky Court between Terminal 2A and 2B
Sky Court is a state-of-the-art building between terminals 2A and 2B with 5 levels. Passenger safety checks were moved here along with new baggage classifiers and business class lounges, such as the first MasterCard lounge in Europe. New shops, restaurants and cafés were placed in the new building's transit hall. With the opening of Skycourt the Terminal 2 has become capable of receiving about 11 million passengers a year, instead of the former joint capacity of about 7 million.
Terminal 2A
The Schengen terminal, and formerly the "only" Terminal 2. It was inaugurated on 1 November 1985 for the exclusive use of the homeland carrier
Malév Hungarian Airlines
MALÉV Ltd. ( hu, Malév Zrt.), which did business as MALÉV Hungarian Airlines ( hu, Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat, abbreviated ''MALÉV'', ), was the flag carrier of Hungary from 1946 until 2012. Its head office was in Budapest, with i ...
, and later renamed in 1998 to Terminal 2A. Its check-in hall serves all Skyteam and Star Alliance member airlines currently. Within its boarding area (Gates A1-A33) and arrivals level, it serves all flights to and from the Schengen-zone destinations of any airline.
Terminal 2B
The non-Schengen terminal, it is referred to as a separate object, opened in December 1998. Its check-in hall serves all flights of the OneWorld-alliance (intra- and extra-Schengen as well), as well as many other non-aligned airlines. For flights of the Hungarian low-cost airliner
Wizz Air
Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
check-in desks can also be found at this terminal. However, its boarding (Gates B1-B44) and arriving area serve exclusively non-Schengen destinations.
Pier 2B
The project "Pier B" was started on 9 January 2017. The new state-of-the-art building was opened on 1 August 2018, and it is connected directly to Terminal 2B. It is 220 meters long and it includes 27 boarding gates and 10 jetbridges, which can serve more wide-body aircraft at the same time. The pier was planned to offer flexibility for traditional and low-cost airlines with boarding options via jetbridges, buses or walking directly to the aircraft.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
As of May 2022, the following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter services to and from Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport:
Cargo
Statistics
Traffic figures
Top destinations
Other facilities
*
Wizz Air
Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
has its head office in Building 221. Wizz Air signed the lease agreement in October 2010 and moved there in June 2011 with 150 employees. The airline occupies over of space in an office building refurbished after the airline's arrival. The facility, with open plan offices, houses about 150 employees.
In addition,
Farnair Hungary
ASL Airlines Hungary Kft, formerly ''Farnair Hungary'', was an airline based on the property of Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary. has its head office on the airport property.
*
Malév Hungarian Airlines
MALÉV Ltd. ( hu, Malév Zrt.), which did business as MALÉV Hungarian Airlines ( hu, Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat, abbreviated ''MALÉV'', ), was the flag carrier of Hungary from 1946 until 2012. Its head office was in Budapest, with i ...
signed a lease agreement with the airport in the spring of 2011, agreeing to relocate its headquarters to the airport grounds by the summer of 2012.
Due to the collapse of the airline, in February 2012 the plans to move to Ferenc Liszt were cancelled.
Ground transportation
Public transport
Local buses
Budapesti Közlekedési Központ
The Budapesti Közlekedési Központ (BKK), officially ''Budapesti Közlekedési Központ Zrt.'' (), is the largest public transport company in Budapest and one of the largest in Europe. It was founded on January 1, 2011. BKK operates buses (200+ ...
(BKK), the public transit authority for Budapest, operates two major express bus services to the airport:
100E and
200E. Route 100E—modeled after the OrlyBus and RoissyBus airport bus services in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
—provides nonstop service to the city center, stopping only at
Kálvin tér
Kálvin tér (English: Calvin Square) is a major square and intersection in the city center of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It was named after the French Protestant Reformer John Calvin (''Kálvin János'' in Hungarian) due to the large R ...
and
Deák Ferenc tér
The Deák Ferenc square (''Deák Ferenc tér''), named for Ferenc Deák, is a major intersection and transport junction in Budapest. Károly körút, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, Király utca, Deák Ferenc utca, and Harmincad utca converge here. Three ...
. Standard tickets and passes cannot be used on this route; a higher-fare ticket must be bought on board or at the airport's BKK ticket machines.
Bus route 200E provides service from the airport to
Kőbánya-Kispest station, the nearest station of the
Budapest Metro
The Budapest Metro ( hu, Budapesti metró) is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It is the world's oldest electrified underground railway system, and the second oldest underground railway system with multiple stations, ...
. Standard tickets and passes are valid on this route.
Long-distance buses
Flixbus operates long-distance routes from the airport to numerous Central European cities, including
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
,
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
, and
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
.
Rail
Hungarian State Railways
Hungarian State Railways ( hu, Magyar Államvasutak, MÁV) is the Hungarian national railway company, with divisions "MÁV START Zrt." (passenger transport), "MÁV-Gépészet Zrt." (maintenance), "MÁV-Trakció Zrt." and "MÁV Cargo Zrt" (freig ...
(''MÁV'') services stop at the nearby
Ferihegy railway station, which can be accessed from Terminal 2 by bus route 200E. Trips into the city center from Ferihegy station take approximately 25 minutes, but service is infrequent. Ferihegy station formerly served the airport's Terminal 1, which no longer hosts passenger air services.
Taxi
Budapest Airport's official Taxi partner is Főtaxi which has a taxi order stand at both arrival site's exit (outside the building).
Mini buses and shuttles
Several companies operate airport shuttles taking passengers to any destination in the city. Other shuttles and coach services exist to outlying towns in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia.
See also
*
List of airports in Hungary
*
Transport in Hungary
Transport in Hungary relies on several main modes, including transport by road, rail, air and water.
Roads
Hungary has a total of of public roads, of which are paved (including 1481 km of motorways, as of 2016); and are unpaved (2005 e ...
*
Aeropark
Aeropark is an open-air aviation museum next to Ferenc Liszt International Airport, Budapest, Hungary. It is dedicated to the history of Hungarian civil aviation, featuring several types used by the now-defunct national airline Malév.
Aeropark ...
aviation museum
References
External links
Official website*
*
{{authority control
1950 establishments in Hungary
Airports established in 1950
Airports in Hungary
Transport in Budapest
History of Budapest
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the European Theater
Franz Liszt