Budapest Buoyed By China Growth, Targets North America Return

AARHUS, Denmark—Budapest Airport (BUD) is welcoming 16 new routes during the summer 2024 season, as well as substantial frequency increases on dozens of existing services.

Speaking at Routes Europe 2024, Máté Ritter, BUD head of airline development, told Routes that the airport has managed to maintain its growth trajectory despite ongoing challenges in the aviation industry, including aircraft delivery delays, engine-related groundings and geopolitical issues.

BUD handled 14.7 million passengers in 2023, marking a return to 91% of pre-pandemic levels. Nonstop scheduled capacity expanded by more than 30% to key global markets, including China, the Middle East and North Africa.

“2024 will see more nonstop seats between Hungary and China than the total bilateral air passenger volume in 2019, which is a clear sign of great appetite by Chinese carriers and growing demand in the inbound market to Hungary,” Ritter said.

Budapest’s latest success will see China Southern Airlines add flights from Guangzhou from June 27, operating four times per week using Boeing 787-8s. The move introduces a fifth Chinese destination for passenger flights alongside Beijing Capital, Chongqing, Ningbo and Shanghai Pudong.

Additionally, Ritter added that bilateral air traffic between Hungary and South Korea is also estimated to outperform 2019 levels this year by more than 70%, thanks to eight flights per week between Seoul and Budapest in summer 2024.

In terms of new opportunities, Ritter said BUD is targeting several unserved European niche markets, such as Toulouse, Santander, Spain, and Cardiff, Wales, and is seeking to reestablish nonstop connectivity to North America. Prior to the pandemic, the airport had year-round service to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, as well as seasonal flights to Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia and Toronto Pearson.

“We have a solid business case to demonstrate based on pre-pandemic benchmarks, when four cities were connected to Budapest,” Ritter said. “Sadly, aircraft delivery delays of narrowbody long-range aircraft have not been in favour of our case until now, but we are optimistic that in summer 2025, American and Canadian carriers will decide to restart operations.”