The receipt of these documents is important because they attest that, both in terms of infrastructure and operations, the airport complies with safety and security-related EU regulations, thus overwriting the earlier operating licenses granted on the basis of member state requirements.

Budapest Airport operates in accordance with the strictest EU regulations in all respects, including airport infrastructure, the operating organization itself and operations. By the end of last year, the operator of Ferenc Liszt International Airport complied with all requirements prescribed by EU regulations, thus obtaining all new permits required for its operation.

An EU regulation drafted by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which entered into force in 2014, set the end of 2017 as the deadline for civil airports operating in the European Economic Area (EEA) for compliance with the provisions of the regulation and for acquiring the new licenses. The objective of the regulation is to provide for a high uniform level of civil aviation safety.

The regulation consists of different structural elements, which altogether contain 450 requirements (204, 117 and 135 separately).

Compliance is audited in all cases by the competent local authorities; the body designated for this in Hungary is the Ministry of National Development Aeronautical and Airport Authority Division.

Budapest Airport drafted the necessary documentation, which would fill several cabinets, in close cooperation with the authority, as part of a process lasting more than 2 years, whereby it attested in detail the compliance of airport infrastructure, its organization and operation with EU regulations.

This included, for example, the regularity of the runways and taxiways, the existence of aviation safety systems and procedures, as well as precise documentation and EU-compatible processes in operation.

Budapest Airport implemented numerous developments in recent years to ensure compliance, particularly with respect to infrastructure; for example, the construction of runway end safety areas (RESA), and agreed to additional undertakings, for a combined total of nearly 6 million EUR (approximately 1.9 billion HUF).

“By obtaining these licenses, Budapest Airport successfully concluded a diverse and very complex process; the positive outcome is a good reflection of the close cooperation between the airport and the authorities,” said Gábor Szarvas, director community affairs, environment, health and safety for Budapest Airport.

He added: “We would like to extend a special thank you to our colleagues at Budapest Airport, who spent thousands of work hours to review our processes, in the interest of compliance with EU regulations on passenger security and aviation safety.”

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Photo: bud.hu