Best of Budapest & Hungary

3 May 2023. Hungary’s airport has been ranked in the same category as Europe’s best airports: in March this year, the international aviation research organization Skytrax conducted a three-day audit of the quality of services at Ferenc Liszt International Airport, taking into account five hundred criteria, and upgraded the airport’s rating from three to four stars.

This means that, following a number of prestigious awards this year, the gateway to Hungary has been put in the same league, in terms of the travel experience, with airports such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, Barcelona and Vienna, amongst others. The recognition is further validation for Budapest Airport and the airport community that the series of developments worth one hundred billion forints, implemented over the past four years, is appreciated by the traveling public.

Following a string of other quality awards, Ferenc Liszt International Airport has received another accolade, as Skytrax promoted the airport to a four-star rating, after a three-day audit encompassing all services. Similarly to the classification of hotels, the independent experts use a ranking of 1 to 5 stars, but tailored to airports. The rating process was based on more than 500 performance indicators, covering all services and areas that passengers may encounter.

The auditors highlighted as a positive example for other airports our fast and efficient security screening without long queues, the displaying of waiting times in many places, the uniquely aesthetic design of the airport, the recently opened children’s play area and various facilities for disabled passengers, equipped with a hospital bed and hoisting equipment in Pier 1. The inspectors also considered exemplary the free use of high-quality strollers and the availability of baggage trolleys in large numbers.

The organization last audited Budapest Airport in 2019, and awarded a 3-star rating. Budapest Airport is committed to quality services, and with this in mind, it redefined its corporate strategy, with the achievement of a four-star rating as one of its main objectives. In order to implement strategic objectives, a dedicated department has been established, to work with the airport’s organizational units to improve the passenger experience. The members prepared a comprehensive assessment of the airport, based on which a detailed action plan was developed and projects to further improve quality were implemented.

“It is a huge achievement and a source of great pride to have attained the fourth star, not least because it is important confirmation of the success of our consistent strategy. Along with the prestigious awards we have recently won, this rating is both recognition of the excellent work by the entire airport community and of our continuous developments over the years to enhance the passenger experience,” said Chris Dinsdale, outgoing CEO of Budapest Airport. He added: “I believe that anyone departing from or arriving at Budapest Airport starts and ends their journey with a real experience, and we can all be proud that Hungary’s airport is at the forefront of Europe.”

Kam Jandu, the CEO of Budapest Airport appointed in May, highlighted: “The four-star rating is the result of hard work and dedication towards a common goal by the entire airport eco system, of which we can be justly proud. But we are not stopping here, we are constantly monitoring areas for improvement, and raising quality and service standards will remain a key focus area for Budapest Airport going forward. Our aim is to ensure that passengers continue to feel that Ferenc Liszt International Airport is a four-star airport, where it is always a pleasure to depart from and to arrive at. This is what the airport community and the excellent professionals we have here are working for every day.”

The management of Budapest Airport is committed to continuous development. It will therefore review the auditors’ recommendations for further developments made as part of the certification process, and will incorporate them into the future operation of the airport.