October, Strongest Month of 2021 at Budapest Airport

October has proven to be the most successful month of 2021 at Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Surpassing the previous record month of August, a total of 712,910 passengers passed through the airport in that month, which is an increase of almost 1,035% compared to the same period last year and the highest passenger level since March 2020.

According to the altest airport bulletin, a total of 33 airlines offered 113 destinations from Budapest Airport in October, with London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt remaining the busiest destinations. The fall school break and the very pleasant weather at the end of October also played a role in the surge in passenger numbers, with many people opting for a few days of sightseeing in Europe and holidays abroad during the school and kindergarten break.

October also brought a record in cargo traffic; the volume of cargo handled by the BUD Cargo City came to 15 292 tons during the month, which is more than 33% higher compared to the same period last year, and even 19% higher than the month of October 2019. October was the seventh month in a row when the cargo base performed above 15 000 tons, which also means that Budapest Airport fulfilled the target set for 12 months in just 10 months, and reached the coveted dream threshold of 150 000 tons. This also means that if this trend continues, the BUD Cargo City will have its strongest year ever in 2021, and could even reach 180 000 tons.

At the same time, it is important to underline that, thanks to the better utilization of existing cargo flights and the partial return of belly cargo on board airliners, the number of flights only increased by 7% in one year, compared to a 40% increase in freight volumes.