The Leading Airport Magazine

Budapest Airport has recognised its airline, operational and agency partners for the outstanding parts they played in the airport’s growth during a record-breaking past year at the 8^th Annual Budapest Airport Awards Ceremony. With the gateway having crossed the nine million passenger threshold for the first time in 2014, the evening was an opportunity to honour and thank the airlines, concessionaires, ground handlers, tour operators and other partners that have worked together in the continued development of Budapest’s aviation and retail operations.

The 8th Annual Budapest Airport Award Ceremony, hosted in the airport’s Terminal 1 Event Center, honoured the airlines, concessionaires, ground handlers, tour operators and other partners that have worked together in the continued development of Budapest’s aviation and retail operations over the past year. The evening’s victors included Pegasus Airlines, winner of Best Newcomer Airline – Low Cost Carrier; El Al – Best Developing Airline; Ryanair – Highest Load Factor Growth – Low Cost Carrier; and Brussels Airlines – Highest Load Factor Growth – Full Service Carrier.

Finnair was recognised as Budapest Airport’s Most Punctual Airline, while Brussels Airlines and Ryanair were commended for having the Highest Load Factor Growth in 2014, for Full Service and Low Cost Carrier respectively, and Wizz Air was honoured as the airport’s Best Performing Airline. “Budapest is our home on many levels and we have considerable pride that 2014 was an all-time record traffic year for both Budapest Airport and Wizz Air – after all, our fortunes are bound together,” Abrán György, Chief Commercial Officer, Wizz Air, said. “All of the employees of both enterprises are recognised with Budapest Airport’s award of Best Performing Airline – an incredible achievement we have delivered together.”

Close to 300 guests from the airport’s carriers, operations partners, concessionaires, and many other agencies and enterprises, attended the ceremony, where Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, said: “Tonight is a great chance for us to say a personal thank you to all our aviation partners and recognise those achievers who have contributed to the fantastic airport performance in 2014. It is also poetic that the awards are held in the Terminal 1 Event Center which still holds so much history for Hungarian aviation.”

The January awards were a sparkling opening to another year of exciting development for the airport and its airline partners. At the end of 2014 monthly increase in passenger traffic in the period to end-December 2014 had exceeded +7% – promising growth that is expected to continue into 2015 as the gateway expands its route network and new destinations are served from Budapest Airport. On 27 March Vueling will begin thrice-weekly services to Barcelona and Rome, and in the same month SAS will commence four times-weekly flights to Stockholm Arlanda, while Wizz Air will start serving Lisbon twice-weekly. Later in the year new services to Madrid, Athens and Montréal will also begin.

In recognition of retail excellence

This year, for the first time, Budapest Airport bestowed dedicated awards on its commercial and retail partners, for their specific contribution to Budapest’s retail success in 2014.

This year, for the first time, the 8th Annual Budapest Airport Awards featured a series of accolades dedicated to the gateway’s retail and commercial partners. With the appointment of Patrick Bohl as its new Head of Retail and Advertising last March Budapest Airport redoubled its commercial and marketing efforts and, indeed, last year the airport achieved its most successful retail results yet.

The appointment of Patrick Bohl as its new Head of Retail and Advertising last March saw Budapest Airport start 2014 with an emphasised focus on its commercial and marketing performance and, indeed, last year the airport achieved its most successful retail results yet. Over the past 12 months the airport has staged more Trinity promotions than ever before, with 15 highly profitable and popular marketing campaigns showcasing international and local Hungarian brands, supported by Heinemann Duty Free. Besides an overall increase in the airport’s retail revenues, the promotions themselves achieved sales growth ranging from 150-300%.

Meanwhile, there have been several entirely new additions to Budapest Airport’s retail offer, including Memories of Hungary – a boutique souvenir shop in Terminal 2B, The Terrace – a bar offering stunning views to the apron – in Terminal 2A, and most recently Victoria’s Secret’s arrival in the airport’s flagship retail SkyCourt complex – which is also the first-ever opening in Hungary for the luxury lingerie brand.

“We are enormously happy with the results of last year and will continue to strive towards an ever improving shopping experience at Budapest Airport,” added Budapest Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer Kam Jandu. “The inclusion of our commercial associates in this year’s awards ceremony has given us the perfect opportunity to thank our exceptional partners for their hugely important role in giving our travellers choice and value for money.”

With a number of important retail contracts now approaching maturity, the year ahead will also see the airport take the opportunity to refresh its retail offer in the SkyCourt, for which its Commercial Business Unit is considering wide-reaching invitations to tender in April. These and other initiatives are supported by plans to run further Trinity promotions throughout 2015.