Airports
7. February 2023

Budapest Airport year in review: Developments reached 90 billion HUF

 

2022 was an extremely challenging, yet very successful year for Budapest Airport. The company recovered 75% of its pre-COVID passenger traffic, added brand new destinations to its schedule and became a regional leader in quality, while air cargo volumes hit unprecedented records. A number of important sustainability investments were launched, and the value of the airport developments implemented over four years reached 90 billion HUF by the end of the year. Last year, the airport operator continued to prepare for the reopening of Terminal 1 and the construction of Terminal 3, while winning more Hungarian and international awards in the areas of quality, sustainability, HR and communication.

2022 was not an uneventful year in the life of Budapest Airport. Not only did the airport operator take big steps forward in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, but it also had to deal with unexpected and unforeseen situations, such as the influx of refugees caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the consequences of the economic slowdown, the energy crisis and the spillover effects of the summer disruptions experienced by most European airports. In addition, soaring inflation and the extra profits tax imposed on airlines also impacted Budapest Airport, most notably in the last quarter of 2022 and 2023.

In parallel with managing the refugee situation, Budapest Airport was continuously preparing for the increased passenger traffic of the summer months, as it was already apparent in April that the first really strong summer after COVID would be full of challenges for most airports, especially those where staff shortages had reached critical levels. Thanks to Budapest Airport’s timely preparations for the post-pandemic recovery in terms of human resources, capacity and infrastructure expansion, the higher passenger traffic did not cause any disruptions at the airport. While many European airports experienced severe disruptions, Budapest Airport continued to operate seamlessly during the summer period, and thanks to several newly introduced processes, ground handling companies also operated without disruptions.

 

Air cargo volumes set another record

The volume of air cargo reached 194 000 tons by the end of the year, breaking all previous records. This represents a 5.8% increase compared to last year and a 44% increase compared to 2019, which is exceptional compared to other European airports, as the global economic slowdown has caused a decline in air cargo, while Budapest Airport’s role as an air cargo hub in the Central and Eastern European region has been further strengthened. In addition, the record cargo volume was achieved with fewer aircraft movements, with cargo flights down 11.5 per cent compared to 2021.

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Original article HERE

Picture source: bud.hu