Tree Planting Program Launched by Budapest Airport

In addition to making its own operations sustainable and reducing its emissions, Budapest Airport, the management company of the Hungarian capital’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport, is also working to protect local natural assets, according to a statement by the company.

At the end of November, five hundred tree saplings were planted in the Börzsöny mountains, north of Budapest, with the help of the Forest Savers (Erdőmentők) foundation, an organization working to protect forests and wildlife, and the employees of the BUD group.

The campaign will continue with the planting of thousands of trees in the Danube-Ipoly National Park. Budapest Airport is expanding the program to an international level, with the help of Treedom; this way, the trees planted around the world may be “adopted” by airport partners, encouraging others to protect natural assets as well.

With the help of experts, the volunteers planted saplings of sessile oak, Turkey oak and wild fruit trees in a previously empty area of the Törökmező forest. The program focuses on climate protection, as the newly reforested area will provide protection for soil that is becoming increasingly scarce and degraded due to climate change. The first year of care is provided for the saplings by Forest Savers, resulting in a retention rate of over 90%. The campaign will continue with the planting of thousands of trees in the Danube-Ipoly National Park with the help of the organization.

However, sustainable forest management and conscious tree planting is not only a local task, which is why Budapest Airport is also pursuing this activity internationally, in cooperation with Treedom; the company is planting 500 trees remotely in different parts of the world; these can be donated using a unique code and the agroforestry project they belong to can be followed online. With the option to “adopt” trees, Budapest Airport also wants to encourage its partners to think consciously about environmental protection.

Budapest Airport says it supports the protection of natural assets beyond tree planting as well. In 2022, the airport operator donated HUF 10 million to save the Merzse marsh in Rákosmente, which dried up during the summer, due to extreme weather conditions and water shortages. The marsh is home to several protected plants, including the early marsh-orchid, the lax-flowered orchid, the fragrant orchid and other orchid species, and the nature reserve is also a habitat for the smooth newt, the northern crested newt, the European pond turtle, deer, foxes and badgers, as well as being a popular breeding ground for the western marsh harrier. Supporting the refurbishment and maintenance of the nature trail connected to the marsh is an important part of Budapest Airport’s environmental strategy.