BUD boosts Budapest Business Region at Expo Real.

Wednesday 12th October 2011

Budapest Airport participated at Expo Real in Munich last week, Europe's largest commercial real estate development exhibition in partnership with Budapest Business Region.

Budapest Airport is at the forefront of the development of the Southern Budapest area with plans to invest around 300 million Euros over the next fifteen years in the airport area. Budapest Airport is key driver of economic development and a major player in job creation in the Southern Budapest - Pest County area. Since 2007, Budapest Airport has invested over 220 million Euros in airport development, the centerpiece being bud:skycourt, the newly opened 28,000 square metre Terminal 2 building.

Budapest Airport has also become a catalyst for development in and around the airport. With the inauguration of the Hungarian Post International Exchange Center near Terminal 2, the plans are underway to launch a Cargo City with new on-airport cargo facilities. Cargo City will feature cargo and logistics terminals designed for airlines, handlers and integrators and excellent aviation and road links to over 20 European countries within a 1000 km radius. The first phase of Cargo City will be constructed from early 2012 with 11,000 square meters of warehouse and 4,500 square metres of office space.

Budapest Airport plans to build a 3-4 star, 250 room, on-site airport hotel operated by an international hotel chain opposite Terminal 2B featuring extensive conference facilities and top-floor restaurants with views over the airport. In the coming years, an entire new Office Park is planned around Terminal 2.

René Droese, Property Director of Budapest Airport said: "We have just finished the process of earmarking several new areas around the airport and worked out the long-term property clusters to be developed in conjunction with the airport development plans. We are planning a Commercial Park on the Southern edge of the airport, designed to bring in a succession of airline offices. Wizz Air opened its airport HQ just a couple of months ago and next summer Malév Hungarian Airlines will move into three adjacent, refurbished office buildings with its 600 head office employees."

According to Budapest Airport, an estimated 300 million Euros will be invested in the airport area over the next fifteen years, creating up to 10,000 new jobs in the Southern Budapest region. According to a recent economic study, for every one million additional passengers using the airport, around 1340 new jobs are created. And for every new airport job, three more jobs are created in town, in tourism, hotels, services and transportation. Budapest Airport forecasts that a total of 8.7 million passengers will travel through the airport in 2011 and that 86,000 tons of cargo will be handled.

About Budapest Airport:

Budapest Airport Plc., the operator of Ferenc Liszt International Airport is owned by a consortium of German (KfW IPEX-Bank 4%) Canadian (Caisse de depôt et placement de Québec 18,167%), American (Aero Investment 10 %) and Singaporean (Malton Investments Pte Ltd. 18,167%) investors led by HOCHTIEF AirPort GmbH (49,666%).

Currently, the two terminals of the airport are home to 32 airlines, which transported nearly 8.2 million passengers to more than 92 destinations in 40 countries in 2010.

Budapest Airport's goal is to become the leading airport in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of growth, efficiency and service quality. To this end, the company is undertaking significant investments in order to expand its capacities, and has committed to spending a total of 261 million Euros (approximately 75 billion HUF) by the end of 2011 on developments. The most significant of these is the construction of the bud:skycourt, a new terminal building linking Terminals 2A and 2B. The elegant, high-quality bud:skycourt provides an unforgettable architectural and travel experience, as well as a rich selection of shops and restaurants. The new terminal makes traveling through the airport simpler and more convenient, as well as expanding throughput.

In 2011, Budapest Airport began a new project, the Cargo City development near Terminal 2, with 26 000 square meters of cargo storage areas and a logistics park due to be built in the first phase. Also in 2011, Budapest Airport commenced the planning and construction of a new engine test stand near the Lufthansa Technik hangar. The long-awaited environmental protection project will be accompanied by numerous other developments, whereby Budapest Airport is contributing to the implementation of a sustainable aeronautical model.

www.bud.hu