Budapest Airport enjoys a busy Hungarian Grand Prix.

Friday 12th August 2011

As McLaren's Jenson Button emerged the victor at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on Sunday July 31st, Budapest Airport was busy handling increased passenger numbers as well as taking care of some of the Formula One VIPs themselves.

On race day, the airport handled over 60 business jets and a total of 364 aircraft movements - resulting in a 7% increase in passenger traffic over and above normal Sunday activity. Both fuel sales and total revenue were also substantially above average.

Budapest Airport welcomed some of the world's most famous Formula One drivers including Red Bull's Mark Webber, Williams' Rubens Barrichello and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg. Mercedes' Michael Schumacher touched down in his brand new silver Dassault Falcon 2000LX business jet and Formula One CEO and President, Bernie Ecclestone's 55-strong team of F1 experts landed aboard his BAe 146 regional jet.

The Hungarian Grand Prix at the famous Hungaroring track marks the last race before the Formula One teams take a well-earned summer break. Kam Jandu, Director of Aviation at Budapest Airport commented: "This was a remarkable and rewarding weekend for us. Amidst all the excitement and drama of this last race of the summer season, we experienced substantially more traffic, generated increased revenue and enjoyed taking care of some of the world's greatest Formula One drivers and their teams. Budapest Airport has been placed firmly in the spotlight helping to position it as the aviation hub of the region."

Alex Berry, Group Executive Sales and Marketing Director at worldwide air charter specialists, Chapman Freeborn, who have an office in Budapest added: "As with any destination that hosts the prestigious F1 Roadshow, Chapman Freeborn always sees an increase in charter flights from the drivers and teams, but increasingly frequently from guests and sponsors visiting what is an incredibly exciting weekend. With the increasing globalisation of F1, Chapman Freeborn is well positioned to manage the needs of teams, drivers, sponsors and guests."

This weekend's activity follows hard on the heels of strong second quarter results for the airport and the strongest ever reported passenger figures for July. The airport saw an increase of 5.9% in passenger traffic over July 2010 and an increase of 10.5% year to date (January to July) compared with the same period last year.

To support the continued growth in passenger numbers, an ongoing development and investment programme is underway at Budapest Airport. The recent opening of its stunning new SkyCourt terminal building linking terminals 2a and 2b has significantly increased the capacity of Terminal 2 to 8.5 million passengers per year. Further developments are proposed which will ultimately mean passenger traffic at the airport will be capable of reaching up to 20 million per year.

About BudapestAirport:

Budapest Airport Zrt. operates Budapest Airport. This is privately owned with German company HOCHTIEF AirPort, one of the world's biggest independent airport managers holding a 49.67% stake, together with a further four financial investors: Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Montreal holding a 18.17% stake; Malton Investment Pte Ltd. holding a 18.17% stake; Aero Investment S.á.r.l. holding a 10% stake and KfW IPEX-Bank, Frankfurt holding a 4% stake.

Through its BUD Future project BudapestAirport aims to be the aviation hub of the CEE region. Leading projects include:

SkyCourt - a new centrally located building which formally opened on 27 March 2011, and links the existing terminals 2a and 2b. The contemporary glass structure offers an impressive view of the apron and aims to provide passengers with a unique travel experience.

Cargo City - New on-airport cargo facilities will feature cargo and logistics terminals designed for airlines, handlers and integrators.

BudapestAirport incorporates two terminals. Terminal 1 is a dedicated low cost carrier terminal and Terminal 2 services the traditional carriers. The airport is also the base for Malev, Hungary's national airline and part of the One World alliance and is home to a further 33 airlines, serving over 96 destinations which represents 40 countries worldwide.

www.bud.hu