The robust traffic growth is continuing: Budapest Airport has recorded its best passenger traffic performance for the sixth month of the year. No fewer than 966,297 passengers arrived and departed through the terminals last month, which exceeds last June’s statistics by more than 100,000.
Budapest Airport’s monthly air traffic is continuing to grow by double-digit figures; June 2015 was 11.8% stronger than last year and stronger than the peak months of July and August in 2014, so there is every hope that this year will be another record-breaker. This expectation is also supported by the fact that, year-to-date, the growth rate is 11.8%, which means about half a million more passengers than in the first half of last year.
The average utilisation of aircraft was high on flights to and from Budapest, resulting in an average load factor of 81.3%, and the number of aircraft movements (take-offs and landings) rose 6.7%. The biggest airline partners were Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa, easyJet, Norwegian, Germanwings, Air France, KLM, British Airways and Turkish Airlines.
As for the most popular destinations, London still leads, with its four airports served by no fewer than five airlines, followed by Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Rome, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Milan, Munich and Moscow.
June saw the launch of several new flights and destinations from Budapest Airport; Wizz Air opened Alghero in Sardinia, along with Glasgow in Scotland, and two new transatlantic flights started, courtesy of Air Transat and SkyGreece. The latter routes to Toronto and Montreal are served by Airbus A330 aircraft with 240-340 seats on each flight, depending on the configuration.
“We are witnessing the results of our joint efforts with airlines to open new routes and destinations, and to better serve passenger needs to and from Budapest,” said Kam Jandu, chief commercial officer for Budapest Airport. “I believe these efforts were matched by the market, hence the popularity of the new long-haul routes to Canada and China, along with the marked increase in summer flights to traditional Mediterranean destinations ranging from Malaga in Spain to Antalya in Turkey.
“Also this is a clear signal that Budapest is high on travelers’ wish lists. It is an exciting summer tourism destination, able to cater for the needs of young festival-goers and the passengers of international river cruises on the Danube alike.”
