In a speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister Viktor Orban acknowledged France's VINCI for partnering with the state of Hungary to buy back Liszt Ferenc operator Budapest Airport in 2024. He also commended the staff of the airport.

Orban called the airport's privatisation, some 20 years earlier, "a disgrace", and said the government at the time had parted with the "goose that laid the golden egg". He added that the buyers had focused on short-term profit, not developments.

In addition to the start of the new terminal, Orban noted that a tender had been called for a concession for a rapid rail line between the airport and Nyugati station, in the centre of Budapest.

"If all of our plans materialise, Liszt Ferenc airport could expand to become the most important centre of commerce and tourism in the region by the end of the decade", he said.

He added that the war presented the greatest risk to those plans, "blocking" economic growth and diminishing Hungary's ability to attract tourists.

Orban said that as long as his government was in power, the airport and a number of other strategic investments would remain in Hungarian hands and continue to benefit Hungarian people. "This flight departs from Budapest, and we don't want a connection in Brussels," he added.

Nicolas Notebaert, the CEO of VINCI Concessions and the president of VINCI Airports, said passenger numbers at Liszt Ferenc climbed 12pc to around 20 million in 2025, while cargo turnover rose 40pc. BUD Cargo City has become a "hub" for deliveries for both the region and Asia, he added.

Budapest Airport expects strong turnover in 2026, with new flights from the United States, Canada, South Korea and China, he said. He added that the new terminal would have an annual capacity of 10 million passengers.

Liszt Ferenc had 19.6 million passengers and handled 420,000 tonnes of cargo in 2025.

Speaking to journalists, Mate Loga, the state secretary for economic development and the chairman of Budapest Airport, said the investment would include the construction of a main building where there is parking at present. The existing terminals will also be upgraded, he added.

Fielding questions, he said the project would be completed gradually, over 4-7 years.

He added that 70-80pc of project costs would be covered by credit and the rest from Budapest Airport's own resources.
 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com
 

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