Budapest Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, started preparing for the summer peak last fall, and is doing its utmost to ensure passenger safety and convenience. As a passenger, you can also do a lot for a stress-free airport experience, with conscious preparation. Budapest Airport will outline what to look out for, to ensure that relaxation should start at the airport and who to contact if you need help during your journey.

Advice for a seamless journey

When planning your trip, find out about the necessary documents and entry requirements – ID card, passport, visa, any vaccinations – and keep your documents with you throughout your trip.

Find out what items you can carry in your hand baggage and hold baggage and what items are Find out about items that can be carried in hand baggage and hold baggage, as well as prohibited articles, and pack accordingly. Please note that only liquids of less than 100 ml, packed in a maximum 1-liter resealable, transparent bag are permitted in hand baggage.

All items that you may need during your trip and are permitted there should be placed in your hand baggage.

These include your documents, wallet, boarding pass, essential medication, necessary items and food for those traveling with small children, and in the event of a possible flight delay, hygiene products and painkillers can come in handy.
 

If you are carrying medication or medicinal ointments, or if you are pregnant or ill, it is recommended that you obtain a Fit to Fly certificate in English from your doctor in advance, which may be needed before departure. It is also advisable to find out about the healthcare system, emergency telephone numbers and available pharmacies at your destination.

Further health advice can be found on the website of the Airport Medical Service (AMS), by clicking here.

Bring your own water bottle, which you can fill up with fresh, clean drinking water at any of the 13 drinking fountains after security screening. Before flying, it is essential to drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, primarily water.

Arrive at the airport at least two and a half hours before the departure of your flight.

This should give you enough time to check in your baggage, pass through security screening and then relax before your flight. During the summer season, there can be as many as 60,000 passengers a day using the terminals of the airport, so if possible, enter the terminal unaccompanied, to avoid congestion.

Where possible, check in and book parking online from the comfort of your home, thereby saving time and money, avoiding queues at the airport and securing your parking space near the terminals.

If you have hold baggage and your airline allows it, use the airport’s self-service baggage drop-off system.

With several airlines, this service is available hours before the check-in counters open and ahead of the day’s peak travel periods.

Print your bag tag quickly and easily yourself, or with the support of our staff if needed, then simply place your bag on the designated baggage carousel. Ground handlers’ and Budapest Airport’s staff and training videos are available on site to help you.

If you are traveling only with hand baggage, the process is even easier; if you have already checked in, please proceed directly to security screening, helping to avoid congestion in the check-in hall.

Check the waiting time on the queuing information screens at the terminals or on Budapest Airport’s website to find out whether you can pass through security screening faster on the T2A or T2B side.

You can choose either checkpoint, regardless of your destination, as passport control for non-Schengen flights takes place after security screening.

Remember, you no longer need to take your electronic devices out of your bag during security screening, and the use of the Fast Track Lane further speeds up the screening process.

Those traveling with small children, and passengers with reduced mobility, can use this service automatically.

Enjoy your time at the airport! Once you have arrived, your holiday has already begun. Use one of the airport’s food and beverage outlets or exclusive lounges, choose from a selection of premium shops or have a delicious coffee. If you would like to relax, retreat to one of our soundproofed quiet boxes.

If you are travelling with a small child, feel free to use the strollers provided by Budapest Airport, which are available free of charge, from security screening until boarding. There are seven nursery rooms in the terminal, and three playgrounds to keep the little ones entertained.

If you or your fellow passenger has a hidden disability, you can use a sunflower sticker to let airport staff know.

Budapest Airport has joined the international Sunflower program, as part of which it has trained its passenger handling staff to help and support passengers with hidden disabilities, helping them to have a relaxed airport experience.

The airport operator has also opened a sensory room on Pier 1, where people with autism or sensory sensitivities, i.e. those who are highly sensitive to external stimuli, can prepare for their flight in a calm and secluded environment.

If you would like to wait in the open air, you can do so on the spacious terraces in Terminals 2A and 2B, as well as on Pier 1.

Have a question? - Useful contact information

Aviation is a complex, multi-stakeholder process in which airlines, ground handlers, authorities, air traffic controllers and other service providers also play an important role beside the airport operator, so it is important to know who you can contact as a passenger with any questions or problems you may have.

If you have any questions, Budapest Airport’s terminal information staff are available at several points throughout the airport, and can be found at the information desk in the central hall of the SkyCourt, after security screening.

For a map of the passenger terminal with shops, toilets and other facilities, please click here.

In case of flight cancellations or delays, please contact your airline.

Airline contact details:

https://www.bud.hu/en/passengers/flight_and_travel_information/flights/airlines

Lost or delayed baggage

The ground handling partner of the airline is responsible for handling delayed and lost baggage. Generally, if your baggage missed your flight, it will be sent to Budapest on the next flight with the same airport of departure and airline as your flight.

Please wait for one hour after the landing of this flight before calling, as the ground handling company will only be able to give you accurate information once the handling process has been completed.

You can find the ground handling company of your airline and its contact details at the link below:
https://www.bud.hu/en/business_and_partners/aviation/services/airport_services/ground_handling_providers.html

If your ground handler is Celebi, you can track your baggage online:

https://wtrweb.worldtracer.aero/WorldTracerWeb/pax.do?airlineCode=

Lost property

For information on items left behind during security screening, please send an e-mail to bud.lp@excess-baggage.com.

Parking

Parking booking and help getting there:

https://www.bud.hu/en/passengers/parking/at_the_airport/car_parks

Parking customer service:parking@bud.hu; +36 1 296 5553

Other important contact information:

Medical assistance: +36 1 296 6399
General travel information (Call Center): +36 1 296 7000.


Budapest Airport prepared to handle the summer peak traffic

Record passenger traffic is expected at Ferenc Liszt International Airport this summer, for which Budapest Airport started preparing last fall. By providing adequate resources, as well as precise planning and close cooperation with members of the airport ecosystem, the airport operator is ready to handle the traffic of the coming months and to ensure the safety and convenience of all passengers in all situations.

Passenger traffic at Ferenc Liszt International Airport continued to soar in the fifth month of the year, with a total of 1.7 million passengers passing through the airport, 16% more than in May last year.

This means that 7.4 million passengers have already traveled through Budapest Airport in the first five months of 2025. This upward trend is set to continue in the coming period; passenger numbers typically peak in the summer months, when the school holidays and good weather boost the propensity to travel, and the number of charter flights can triple, in addition to scheduled flights.

Budapest Airport already started preparing for this period in the fall of 2024, with the involvement of stakeholders from the airport ecosystem, and is prepared to do its utmost to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers.

Complex and sophisticated operation

Aviation is a complex, multi-stakeholder process, so it requires accurate, coordinated and precise work from all players. The summer period is a challenge, as up to one third of annual passenger traffic is concentrated in these three months.

In addition to the airport operator, airlines, ground handlers, authorities and air traffic controllers all have an important role to play in ensuring a good passenger experience, including in case of delays.

They all need to work closely together and share information to react quickly and efficiently, while ensuring passenger safety. In addition to the complexity, it is also important to emphasize that external factors, such as the weather conditions, may affect services at the airport, to the extent that delays or cancelations may happen.

Budapest Airport therefore considered it very important to prepare for this summer in close cooperation with other partner companies. Active dialog with stakeholders, joint problem identification, accurate planning and the provision of adequate resources will help to ensure that this summer’s passenger traffic runs as seamlessly as possible.

The parties will provide feedback to each other through regular meetings, as the development of complex aviation processes and a rapid response to circumstances can only be achieved with the presence and active contribution of all stakeholders involved.

HungaroControl Zrt. and the Ministry for National Economy are key strategic partners of Budapest Airport in the management of the summer peak. Within the framework of the strategic cooperation between Budapest Airport and HungaroControl, projects have been launched in eighteen areas, which aim - directly or indirectly - to improve the passenger experience and service quality.

Technological and infrastructural developments

The airport operator is continuously developing the infrastructure of the airport. The refurbishment of the bridge leading to Ferenc Liszt International Airport and the area used for pickup and drop-off is underway, which will make the area suitable for safely handling the growing traffic in the long term.

Until the construction of Terminal 3, the capacity of Terminal 2 is being expanded. The areas through which all passengers pass and which are therefore likely to be particularly busy will be optimized; the area of the passenger hall will be increased until the end of the year, where a total of 36 self-service baggage drop-off machines are now available, and early baggage drop-off is offered by several airlines.

The efficiency of the security screening checkpoint has been improved for this summer season, which — based on experiences from the first half of the year — led to reduced waiting times. The most frequently used security lanes have been equipped with the latest, most efficient body scanners.

International trends behind summer flight delays

Aerial passenger numbers typically peak in the summer months, when, in addition to scheduled flights, charter flights can triple, further saturating the already congested European airspace.

In a complex process like aviation, factors outside the airport’s control can cause disruption and slowdowns. Such factors include for example technical failures, the availability of aircraft crews or the weather.

Passenger safety is a primary concern in the event of a storm system, so if the weather could pose a threat to air traffic, ground handling, take-offs and landings may be suspended. A stoppage can lead to a build-up of delays at both the airport of origin and the destination, and in general, the more turns an aircraft makes, the more likely it is to accumulate a delay by the end of the day.

Assistance for passengers in case of delays

Budapest Airport set up passenger assistance points last summer on both the A and B side of Terminal 2, which will be available this summer as well. Rapid information due to flight delays or cancelations will be available for passengers primarily in these areas, along with food, drinks, hygiene products and baby food for families with small children, if necessary.

The BUD:carezone area provides passengers with all the contact details and information they need.

Airport staff wearing blue vests are available all year round to assist passengers both at the help points and in other areas of the terminal.

More:
bud.hu
 

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