The new record was set in November when the monthly volume of air cargo processed at the airport neared 11,000 tonnes, consistent with the anticipated pre-Christmas surge in trade. Owing to the improving performance of domestic companies, the volume of export cargo transported from the airport now exceeds the volume of import cargo.
According to René Droese, Property Director at Budapest airport, the annual growth rate of air cargo throughput at Budapest airport reached 16.4% for the year. Droese said that the growth was a clear indication of the positive performance of the Hungarian economy and improved turnover has been attributed to the electronic and automotive parts industries, telecommunication technologies and the pharmaceutical industry, in particular. Plans to maximise on this development are already underway. “Two major logistics bases [are] currently under construction next to Terminal 1 for DHL Express and TNT,” she explained, adding that, “preparations for the development of a brand new air cargo centre called Cargo City in the area next to Terminal 2” have also begun.
Ferenc Liszt International has become something of a regional cargo hub, with 20 European countries within a 1,000-kilometre radius, reachable by road. By air, a vast network of global cargo hubs can be reached from Budapest, via Luxembourg, Doha, Dubai, or Istanbul, to name a few.
