Budapest Ferihegy International Airport
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| Ferihegy International Airport Ferihegyi Nemzetközi Repülőtér |
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| IATA: BUD - ICAO: LHBP | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Budapest Airport Rt. | ||
| Serves | Budapest | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 495 ft (151 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 13L/31R | 12,162 | 3,707 | Concrete |
| 13R/31L | 9,875 | 3,010 | Concrete |
Budapest Ferihegy International Airport (Hungarian: Ferihegyi Nemzetközi Repülőtér or simply Ferihegy) (IATA: BUD, ICAO: LHBP) is the only airport serving the capital city of Budapest, and the largest among the country's five international airports. The airport offers a wide range of international connections primarily within Europe, but also to Asia, the Middle East, and North America. In 2005, the airport served just over 8 million passengers.
The airport is located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the centre of Budapest, accessible by the major transport artery of Üllői út. At the end of 2005 expressway M0 that connects all major roads and expressways around the city will reach the airport providing faster link to other towns.
Ferihegy is large enough to accept the Boeing 747 and Antonov An-124. Airbus A380 capability is not yet known. Most of the traffic comprises Airbus-, Boeing- derived twinjets, flying to and from European cities, and some longhaul Boeing 767s.
Planes landing from the north (this depends on the wind conditions) will fly low over the Kőbánya district, the location of the largest cemetery in Europe. Weather seldom diverts aircraft. When this does happen, planes usually land at Bratislava or Vienna.
On December 8, 2005, a 75% stake in Ferihegy Airport was bought by BAA plc at 464.5 billion HUF (approx. 2.1 billion USD), including the right of operation for 75 years. [1]
On 20 October, 2006, BAA plc announce intention to sell its stake in Budapest Airport to a consortium led by the German airports group, HOCHTIEF AirPort GmbH, subject to the consent of the Hungarian State.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
Ferihegy was opened on May 7, 1950, built originally for Maszovlet (Magyar-Szovjet Polgári Légiforgalmi Részvénytársaság), the predecessor of MALÉV Hungarian Airlines. A 2,500 meter (8,205 feet) runway (currently Rwy 13R-31L), a large hangar, and a terminal were built at this time.
In 1961, the runway was extended to 3,010 meters (9,875 feet).
Over the next few decades improvements were made, but it was in 1985 that the most important addition was finalized. The new, modern terminal was opened, destined to replace the old terminal as the passenger flight center of the airport. The second runway (Rwy 13L-31R) built for the new terminal is 3,706 meters (12,162 feet) long.
[edit] Terminals
Ferihegy airport has three main terminals (1, 2A, 2B) and a small one for general aviation (GAT) flights. A new large air cargo base is about to be built. Transfer between terminals 2A and 2B is convenient enough to be completed on foot. However, the older Terminal 1 is farther away and must be reached via bus.
[edit] Terminal 1
The newly opened Terminal 1 serves all low-cost airlines. The terminal was recently renovated and opened up to the public in September 2005. The freight functions will be relocated to a newly built cargo base, whose construction has been delayed by a political scandal about public spending that led to contract cancellations (because inflated prices were paid for the land).
[edit] Terminal 2A
Terminal 2A was originally built exclusively for MALÉV Hungarian Airlines, but it now serves not only MALÉV, but its code-share airline partners as well. This modern, well-designed terminal replaced the original terminal in 1985.
[edit] Terminal 2B
Although connected to Terminal 2A, it is referred to as a separate terminal, opened in 1997. It serves all of the other international flights and airlines not served by Terminal 2A.
[edit] GAT
The general aviation terminal is just located on the left side of Terminal 1. It serves the small and private planes, and also has a parking area for them.
An open-air watching platform for relatives and plane enthusiasts exists at Terminal 2, but its regular spring-to-autumn, morning-to-sunset hours may be restricted due to terrorism concerns. A small fee of 200 Forint (US$1) is charged for adults, and 100 Ft for children.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
[edit] Scheduled airlines
- Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
- Aerosvit (Kiev-Boryspil)
- Aer Lingus (Dublin)
- Air Berlin (Hanover, Nuremberg)
- Air Europa (Madrid)
- Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
- Air Malta (Malta)
- Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa)
- Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
- Blue1 (Helsinki)
- British Airways (London-Heathrow)
- Brussels Airlines (Brussels)
- Carpatair (Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara)
- Clickair (Barcelona) [starts 1 June 2007]
- Czech Airlines (Prague)
- Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK)
- easyJet (Berlin-Schönefeld, Dortmund, Geneva, London-Gatwick, London-Luton)
- EgyptAir (Cairo)
- El Al (Tel Aviv)
- Finnair (Helsinki)
- Germanwings (Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart)
- Hainan Airlines (Beijing, Geneva [awaiting gov't approval])
- Jet2.com (Manchester)
- LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw)
- Lufthansa (Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich)
- Malév Hungarian Airlines (Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Beirut, Berlin-Tegel, Brussels, Bucharest-Otopeni, Cairo, Constanţa, Copenhagen, Cork, Damascus, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Ekaterinburg, Frankfurt, Geneva, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Hamburg, Helsinki, Istanbul-Atatürk, Kiev-Boryspil, Kraków, Larnaca, Ljubljana, London-Gatwick, Lyon, Madrid, Malaga, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Munich, New York-JFK, Odessa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Podgorica, Prague, Priština, Rome-Fiumicino, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Split, Stockholm-Arlanda, Stuttgart, Târgu-Mureş, Tel Aviv, Thessaloniki, Timişoara, Tirana, Toronto, Varna, Venice, Warsaw, Zagreb, Zürich)
- Meridiana (Florence)
- Moldavian Airlines (Chişinău)
- Norwegian Air Shuttle (Oslo)
- Rossiya Airlines (St. Petersburg)
- Royal Jordanian (Amman) [starts June 2, 2007][3]
- Scandinavian Airlines System (Stockholm-Arlanda)
- SkyEurope (Amsterdam, Athen, Barcelona, Bourgas, Brussels, Catania, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Malaga, Milan-Bergamo, Naples, Nice, Paris-Orly, Rimini, Rome-Fiumicino, Split, Thessaloniki, Varna, Venice)
- Smart Wings (Barcelona, Madrid, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague)
- Sterling Airlines (Copenhagen, Stockholm-Arlanda)
- Swiss International Air Lines
- Swiss International Air Lines operated by Swiss European Air Lines (Basel, Zürich)
- TAP Portugal (Lisbon)
- TAROM (Bucharest-Otopeni)
- Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
- Wizz Air (Barcelona-Girona, Bourgas, Brussels-Charleroi, Bucharest-Băneasa, Corfu, Eindhoven, Hahn, Heraklion, Gothenburg-City, London-Luton, Malmo, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Beauvais, Rhodes, Rome-Ciampino, Split, Stockholm-Skavsta, Târgu-Mureş, Thessaloniki, Varna, Warsaw)
Aside from the ones listed above, cargo airlines such as UPS also operate out of the airport.
[edit] Safety and Security
As with any airport, theft can be a problem among employees and the pickpockets in the waiting areas. Travelers may wish to have their bags turn-wrapped in clean plastic sheet before handing them over at the counter for a fee of 1500 Ft. (US$7.50). Due to security issues, one should never leave luggage unattended. It is likely to be reported to airport police and destroyed.
There was an IED bus attack against Russian Jewish emigrants at Ferihegy in the early 1990s. However, there have been no terrorist incidents since then.
[edit] Ground Transportation
[edit] Light Rail
There is currently no light rail access to Ferihegy, but plans exist to either extend the current metro system, or build a new municipal railway perhaps as late as 2010. Mounting pressure from the hotel industry could make it happen earlier. – According to the statement of the minister of economics, [4], this latter seems to be more probable, even by 2007, and the train would arrive at the Eastern Railway Station.
[edit] Buses, mini buses and shuttles
An airport mass transit articulated bus, no. 200, (provided by BKV company) leaves for the city centre every 10-20 minutes. They have been Volvo buses since April 14, 2006, equipped with special room for the luggage, and they reach both Terminal 1 and 2. [5] [6] A ticket costs less than one euro. The BKV airport bus runs to the starting station of the M3 underground line (Kőbánya-Kispest – also a mainline railway station). Boarding the Metro 3 trains at Ecseri út or Nagyvárad tér stations are suggested alternatives.
The LRI airport authority operates an 11 passenger airport minibus service that takes passengers to any destination in the city. The price is fixed and affordable. Tickets can be purchased at the Airport Minibus counter.
Hungarian owned Wizz Air operates shuttle buses between Budapest city centre and terminal 1.
[edit] Taxis
Taxis are available from the taxi stand. However, only one taxi company (Zóna Taxi) is authorized to use the airport cab stands. They operate under a zone based fixed rate system. You can also call one of the taxi companies listed below. If You take a taxi from the stand, it will be a little bit quicker. The Pick-up by the other companies also is normally quite quick, since the major companies have cabs waiting in a lot nearby. Cab fare from Ferihegy to Budapest center is roughly between 4000 and 4500 HUF.
Reputable taxi companies [7] with a 24 hour a day quick dispatch include:
- City Taxi +36-1-211-1111, use 06-209 or 06-309 plus 211-1111 to reach them on their mobile
- Fo Taxi +36-1-222-2222
- Radio Taxi +36-1-377-7777
- Tele5 Taxi +36-1-355-5555
- Volan Taxi +36-1-466-6666
- Budataxi +36-1-2-333-333
It is possible to online order a taxi on their webpage.
Because of the lack of public transportation taxi service is always a battleground and this is typically true for the airport. Lately, it is much better, but take care and stuck to the fixed transfer tariff.
[edit] Car Rental
Car rental is also available at the airport. Several internationally known car rental companies operate at the airport. Nearly all rental companies at Ferihegy also have offices in Budapest proper, thus consumers who are spending anytime in Budapest can rent in the city and avoid the additional fee charged for renting at the airport.
[edit] Amenities and Services
Facilities include ATMs, bureaux de change, left luggage, first aid, duty-free shops, child care, post office, a chapel, restaurants, tourist information and hotel reservations. There are facilities for disabled passengers and wheelchairs are available from the airport help desks; travellers with special needs are advised to contact their airline or travel agent in advance. A short walk down the long drive from Terminal 2 there is an open-air aircraft museum. Short- and long-term parking lots are situated close to the terminal buildings.
The airport has good GSM phone coverage. Free WLAN is provided by Pannon. 230V power outlets are available at some places. Socket type CEE 7/7 or 7/4 (electrical outlet).
[edit] External links
