New Budapest Airport development makes travelling more comfortable

The newly established observation and smoking area at Terminal 2B has opened. Passengers traveling to non-Schengen countries can thus choose to spend the rest of their time in the open air after passport control. The 200 m² terrace is currently welcoming passengers with a minimum of functional furnishings and will be given a final design, complete with benches and greenery, at a later stage. With this early opening, Budapest Airport aimed to meet the needs of passengers as quickly as possible.

In response to feedback from passengers, the airport operator started preparing the observation and smokers’ terrace in September 2021. Taking into account the load-bearing capacity of the terminal’s roof structure, the new terrace was built on the roof of Terminal 2B with a separate, load-bearing steel structure. The main works were completed in just under six months, and the facility opened to passengers already in mid-September. The terrace provides an excellent view of the terminal apron and also has a covered (non-smoking) section, to allow passengers to enjoy the view even in bad weather, bud.hu wrote.

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The fall is still hot at the airport, but traffic shows early signs of weakening

Passenger traffic at the airport in September is showing early signs of weakening. During the earlier summer months, a recovery of 81% and 80% in July and August compared to the same months of 2019 was experienced. During the month of September, this recovery rate decreased to 78% of the related September level, as the mixed impact of the recent economic situation and the new government tax imposed on airlines has slowed the recovery. A total of 1 185 462 arriving and departing passengers used Ferenc Liszt International Airport in the first month of the fall. Until the end of September, Budapest Airport welcomed a total of 9,060,752 passengers almost 265% more than in the first nine months of 2021. This year, London, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris have proven to be popular destinations outside the peak season as well.

Cargo volumes show a minimal decrease of 4.1% compared to September 2021. On an annual level, however, there is also an increase in this segment; the 143 716 tons of air cargo handled so far is 7.8% more than the volume registered during the January-September period last year.

Read alsoNew Budapest Airport development makes travelling more comfortable

BUD Cargo City to be expanded to meet growing demand

The BUD Cargo City, opened by Budapest Airport in 2020, has handled record cargo volumes since its launch, and represents significant cargo growth potential for our partners and the Hungarian economy as a whole. The key to continuous development and ensuring that Hungary remains a predominant cargo hub in the region lies in the BUD Cargo City, the hub of our cargo ecosystem, and the work of the cargo community as a whole. Budapest Airport and its cargo hub provides a solid foundation for all players in the supply chain, including the 12,000 people who work in air cargo in Hungary today.

Due to the success of the BUD Cargo City, the time has come for further development. In September, the expansion of the cargo apron adjoining the facility has commenced, and in October, the capacity expansion of the handling building also began. Budapest Airport Zrt. is constructing an additional 6500 m² of warehouses, 2000 m² of offices, as well as a live animal holding area and other service facilities. With the expansion, the airport’s annual cargo capacity will increase from 250 000 tons to 300 000 tons. This will ensure that Hungary continues to lead the way within the Central and Eastern European region, while providing a core competitive advantage for all players in the Hungarian economy.

Budapest Airport publishes sustainability report

In the spirit of responsible and transparent airport operation, Budapest Airport has published its first sustainability report, for 2021.

For Budapest Airport, 2021 was marked by strategic decisions, ambitious commitments, key initiatives and prestigious international awards in sustainability. The company took huge steps to maintain carbon neutral operations and achieve its other sustainability goals, and set itself the primary objective of achieving net zero emissions 15 years earlier than previously committed, by 2035 at the latest. To this end, it has already introduced innovative solutions to improve energy efficiency and implemented measures to promote e-mobility in recent years, based on its net zero roadmap. Over the last three years, airport development projects worth more than 70 billion HUF have been implemented, taking sustainability aspects into consideration.

Budapest Airport’s sustainability report provides details on this, as well as the net zero roadmap, the airport operator’s water management, waste management, measures to protect biodiversity, as well as social and economic corporate responsibility projects. The report is accessible on the airport’s website.

Budapest Airport’s Greeanairport program receives Effekt 2030 award

Budapest Airport’s Greenairport program has been awarded second place in the Green Balance category of the Effekt 2030 – Community Investment Awards. The aim of the award is to recognize and widely publicize exemplary and effective environmental and social investment programs by Hungarian companies. The main objective of the Greenairport program, in cooperation with airport partners, is to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint by curbing energy use, creating opportunities for renewable energy, developing e-mobility, reducing water consumption, phasing out single-use plastics and managing waste responsibly.

Under the initiative, the airport saves approximately 170 000 m³ of natural gas and 340 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year by upgrading the airport’s heating centers, and 140 000 liters of fuel and 350 tons of carbon dioxide per year by using electric vehicles and installing 35 e-chargers. As a result of these efforts, in 2019, the record year before the pandemic, the airport’s direct carbon dioxide emissions were halved and emissions per passenger reduced to a third of what they were ten years earlier. In addition, the green energy purchased will be able to cover 65% of the airport’s electricity needs in 2022 and 100% from 2023.

Community donations at Budapest airport

Budapest Airport placed a digital fundraising totem in the central part of the SkyCourt in Terminal 2 of Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Through this machine, provided by Change Hungary, passengers can make even small donations to the Robert Burns Foundation, an international charity for sick and disadvantaged children. On the digital device, passengers can donate to a worthy cause with their credit card or phone, by selecting the desired amount, and the donations go directly to the foundation.

The totem will be available at the terminal from 13 October, as part of a two-month trial run. The airport operator’s aim is to provide passengers with an easily accessible, fast, digital donation option, to help disadvantaged people.

Collective charity work is also a tradition among the employees of the BUD group. In September, for example, staff could collect donations for the Ments Életet Alapítvány (Save Lives Foundation), by exercising. In the Keep Moving BUD program, employees could record their time spent doing sports in an app, and Budapest Airport donated 1.5 million HUF to the foundation for the 1000 hours accumulated during the month.

Source: bud.hu