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Measure of Quality
Budapest Airport to celebrate its 75th anniversary throughout the year
The airport of the Hungarian capital, currently known as Ferenc Liszt International Airport, was opened to the travelling public on 7 May 1950. The facility, which initially handled 50,000 passengers a year and now serves the same number a day, broke all previous records and handled 17.6 million passengers in 2024. In anticipation of further dynamic development, preparations for the construction of Terminal 3 have begun. In addition to major developments and a quality passenger experience, this year marks a very important anniversary, as the airport has been operating for 75 years. To mark this occasion, Budapest Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, is preparing a year-long series of events and festive activities, focusing on the eponymous composer-legend.
On 7 May, it will be exactly 75 years since the opening of the capital’s airport, initially referred to as “Ferihegy”. The facility, which operated with one terminal and one runway at the time, welcomed and served 50,000 passengers a year, which is now its average daily passenger traffic. Over the years, in response to this robust growth, a number of development milestones have been achieved: the extension of runway I and the expansion of Terminal 1, the construction of runway II, the control tower and Terminal 2, and currently, preparatory works for Terminal 3 are underway.
The idea to rename the airport arose more than half a century after it opened. Like many other airports, the name chosen does not relate to aviation, but to the culture of the country where the airport is located, and thus promotes Hungary’s gateway to a wide audience in a worthy manner. In 2011, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of the world-famous Hungarian composer, Parliament decided that Budapest Airport should bear the name of Ferenc Liszt, commemorating one of the outstanding figures of the cultural heritage of Hungary and Europe, while also evoking the beloved “Ferihegy” name.
Today, the name of Ferenc Liszt is intertwined with the airport; similarly to music and the masterpieces of the world-famous composer and great traveller, travel also connects people from all corners of the world. This is the spirit of the celebrations to be launched at Budapest Airport in 2025, which commemorate both the 75th anniversary of the airport and the eponymous composer. Throughout the year, the general public - both Hungarians and travellers visiting the airport - will be able to enjoy a range of exciting activities, both in the terminals and online. Interestingly, this year also marks another important anniversary in this respect, as one of the composer’s most famous pieces, Liebesträume (Dreams of Love), will be 175 years old.
“It is important to VINCI Airports that the airports in its network should preserve and represent the unique values and traditions of the given country. I am sure that this year’s festive activities will fulfil this aim, while also honouring the legacy of the eponymous Ferenc Liszt. We cannot wait to unveil the details of the year-long series of events,” said Francois Berisot, the CEO of Budapest Airport. He emphasised: “One thing is certain, we have a very important year ahead of us, which is worth following for everyone. Meanwhile, the airport is constantly evolving: in addition to creating cultural value, the focus this year is on maintaining high quality, with further milestone developments to come to the benefit of Hungary and its people.”