Budapest Airport hosted its 14th Annual Gala last night, celebrating the close collaboration of partnerships which have enabled the airport to remain robust and to continue to deliver exceptional performance throughout 2022. The Hungarian gateway handled 12.2 million passengers last year having recovered 75% of 2019 passenger traffic and the outlook for the year ahead is already off to a positive start, recording a 67% increase in passengers in January (when compared to January 2022).
“Not so long ago, the aviation world went through one of the hardest times in its history and without the close cooperation of all our partners, from airlines to ground handlers, concessionaires to technology providers, we would not have been able to maintain our strength and desire for continuous development, while upholding a high-quality passenger experience,” emphasized Chris Dinsdale, CEO, Budapest Airport during his speech at the gala.
“I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one of our associates who share the responsibility in supporting Budapest Airport’s visions for a sustainable future and the key roles they play in our ambitions for growth and improvement. There is once again a sense of excitement for the future, and I’m filled with immense pride and gratitude that we will work alongside each other through new challenges and opportunities.”
A few words from the winners:
Retailer of the Year – Juszt Optika. Viktor Sasvári, CEO: “As the operator of Optic World sunglasses, we have experienced great success at Budapest this last year. Being part of the development and resurgence at the airport has seen fantastic results with our turnover increasing by more than 20% when compared to 2019. We are the number one retailer with the highest recovery rate, and I’d like to thank the team at Budapest Airport for this wonderful recognition.”
Best Commercial Passenger Services Partner – Plaza Premium Lounge Hungary Kft. Adrienn Fekete, Country Manager: “Thank you to all at Budapest Airport, not only for awarding us this prize but also for the recognition of our development within Hungary. We strive for quality and exceptional service to maintain and strengthen our role in passenger satisfaction, and we look forward to continuing to deliver our best-in-class signature hospitality and premium airport services for the airport’s customers.”
Best Developing Regular Freighter Operator Airline – Turkish Cargo. Hakan Lokman Yüksel, Director Cargo Sales (Eastern Europe): “Last year our overall cargo traffic at Budapest Airport was close to 15,000 tonnes, which resulted in a 9% increase in capacity. This outstanding performance is thanks to the hard work of the Turkish Cargo family and our important strategic partnership with the airport.”
Best Load Factor European Full Service Carrier – Iberia. Carmen Giraud, Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Asia: “Budapest is a very competitive market, so the fact that Iberia has won this award is an honour and proof of the good service we offer, which is possible thanks to the commitment of the entire human team behind the operation. Since 2015, we have connected Budapest with the Iberia destination network, which currently covers 133 in 42 countries, with a focus on Latin America and the United States, and we hope to continue doing so for many more years. Proof of our commitment is the frequency increases that we are going to deploy from April, offering a daily flight between Budapest and the rest of Iberia’s destinations. Thank you very much for this distinction and congratulations to the rest of the winners.”
Best Newcomer Airline – Korean Air. Michael Ohnesorg, Sales Representative Central & Eastern Europe: “This award is tremendous recognition for our product. We announced our new route in the Hungarian market back in 2019 so this achievement is especially poignant after a two and a half year wait to join Budapest Airport due to the pandemic. We were the first new long-haul airline to start operations at the airport last year, offering 7,000 monthly two-way seats between Seoul and Budapest and we feel enthusiastic about the future.”
Most Punctual Airline – Qatar Airways. Corporate Communications & Media Department: “Qatar Airways has been proudly flying to Budapest since 2011, and every year we deliver on our promise of best service which starts with punctuality. We operated more than 310 flights from Budapest in 2022, with 97% of them being on-time, which means over 34,000 passengers enjoyed and experienced our attention to detail.”
