Over a Million Aircraft Used Hungary's Airspace Last Year

HungaroControl recorded record traffic in Hungary's airspace in 2024 with 1 million 143,937 aircraft, of which almost 84% were overflights, and strong traffic is expected to continue this year, the Hungarian air traffic service provider told MTI on Wednesday.

It was recalled that HungaroControl was the first in Europe to abolish the air route network in the entire Hungarian airspace and to introduce unrestricted free use of airspace for aircraft exactly ten years ago to the day. The so-called Hungarian Free Route (HUFRA) system allows aircraft to fly the shortest possible routes between entry and exit points in Hungarian airspace.

This has reduced the number of flights crossing over the country by 15 million kilometers since 2015, saving airlines at least USD 33 million in fuel and 180 million kilograms of carbon dioxide in global airspace, they said.

They also recalled that the European Commission regulation made the free use of airspace mandatory across the continent only from 2022, so Hungary met this obligation well ahead of the deadline.

HungaroControl Plc., a state-owned company employing more than 800 people, provides air traffic services in Hungarian airspace and, at the request of NATO, in the high airspace over Kosovo. The company's activities include the training of air traffic personnel and air navigation research and development.