Hungarian government to buy Budapest Airport – but when?
The Hungarian government has not given up on the acquisition of the Budapest Airport. However, currently, there are no funds for it. This was said by Gergely Gulyás, PM Orbán’s chief of staff.
The usual Cabinet Briefing (Kormányinfó) was held on Thursday, 9 February. During the briefing, Gulyás said in response to journalists’ question that Márton Nagy, Minister for Economic Development, was authorised to negotiate with the airport owner at the three-day strategic cabinet meeting.
He added that currently, the government does not have the means to buy the airport. The acquisition can take place when an agreement is reached between the government and the owners, Portfolio reports.
Portfolio quotes Gulyás as saying that there are no plans for the structure for the time being. The airport has an ascertainable purchase price. It is high, so the presence of another owner could help the government.
It was in 2020 that news first emerged that a consortium of Hungarian investors was in talks to buy Budapest Airport. A few months later, it was rumoured that the state would buy the airport. This became official in May 2021, when the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (Innovációs és Technológiai Minisztérium, ITM) announced that preparations for the acquisition of the airport would begin, with negotiations to acquire a majority stake in the operating company.
Source: Portfolio.hu