Traffic at Budapest Airport in Hungary has exceeded the 12 million barrier for the first time in its history, breaking the previous record of 11.4 million set in 2016. The airport also served one million passengers in November for the first time ever.
Given that the Christmas and New Year period is always very busy, the airport estimates that traffic will approach or even exceed 13 million this year, setting another record.
Forecasts indicate that a natural dip usually occurs in traffic every year during January and February, which is likely to be the case in 2018 as well, but traffic performance in Budapest has become steadier and more balanced over the past few years. This is partly explained by the frequency of flights to sunny seaside destinations or nearby cities in the Canary Islands and Morocco.
Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, said, “We are very proud of the traffic growth, which is not only to the merit of Budapest Airport, but also of the Hungarian economy and tourism. Budapest remains attractive for tourists and business travelers alike. There are fewer and fewer white spots on our European route map. In addition to the transatlantic flights starting next summer, we are focusing on another connection to the Far East, trying to attract Asian carriers to the Hungarian capital, as these markets are becoming increasingly important for us.”
To keep pace with the rapid growth in traffic, Budapest Airport launched a five-year development plan called BUD 2020, which includes the construction of a 10,000m2 (108,000ft2) passenger pier, which is set to open next year.