Passenger numbers at Ferenc Liszt Airport climbed 17% year-on-year to 6.8 mln in the first half of 2018, according to data from industry intelligence company CAPA Centre for Aviation, cited by state news agency MTI.

Passenger numbers in June alone were up 13% at 1.4 mln, it added.

Passenger traffic depends on the season, with the weakest periods in January and February, Mihály Hardy, communications director at Ferenc Liszt Airport, told portfolio.hu. The peak falls in the summer months; in July and August, traffic can reach 1.4-1.5 mln passengers per month, he added.

Key holiday targets for Hungarian passengers using low-cost airlines include the Canary Islands, Morocco, Santander and Malaga in Spain, and Paphos in Cyprus. Hungarians also seem to be returning to destinations previously avoided because of terrorist threats, such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia.

Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air is offering a total of 5.3 mln seats this year, 20% more than in 2017. Its most popular destinations are London Luton, Barcelona and Tel Aviv.

Hungarians flying with Emirates, meanwhile, primarily travel to Dubai, but popular destinations also include Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and Australia.

As for North America, Hungarians usually aim for New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto. Trips are mostly on business or to visit relatives, Hardy noted.