DSp Pictures
Year	Pentax	Spot Location
Year	Digital	Spot Location
2005		An open-air viewing platform for relatives and spotters is at Terminal 2 + view of Terminal 1 (during the stop over)

Terminal 1

BUD

Web information :

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-metre (8,205-foot) runway (13R-31L), a large hangar, and a terminal were built.

In 1961, the runway was extended to 3,010 metres (9,875 feet).

Over the next few decades improvements were made, but it was in 1985 that the most important additions were made. A modern terminal was opened and a second runway opened (rwy 13L-31R, 3,706 metres (12,162 feet) long).

Today Malév is the largest airline in Budapest. Wizzair is the second largest airline. SkyEurope closed its Budapest hub in 2007. The largest foreign airline is Lufthansa which serves Düsselorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich from Budapest.

Designing and construction (1939-1944)

In 1938 the idea of building a new airport in Budapest was born. The area in the boundary of three settlements, Pestszentlőrinc-Rákoshegy-Vecsés, was assigned as the area of the new airport. The airport was intended as jointly for civil-military-sporting purposes. Civil facilities were to be built up in the north-western and military ones in the south-western section. Just as for each building, a public tender was invited for the designing and construction of the traffic building.

In December 1939, upon announcement of the results of the tender invited in September that year, the designs of Károly Dávid Jr. (1903-1973) were chosen. The designer, who was one of the originators of modern Hungarian architectural art, dreamt of a building which resembled an aircraft from the top-side view. The work commenced in 1942. To approach the airport from the city, a 16 km high-speed road was constructed between 1940 and 1943, which, after improvements, remains in use today.

The military buildings were constructed parallel to the civil construction from 1940 but, due to the war situation, faster. Aviation started at the airport in 1943. In wartime, the civil construction slowed down and then stopped at the beginning of 1944. Towards the end of World War II, many of the airport buildings were damaged. By the end 1944, Budapest and its airport were under Soviet occupation.

Reconstruction (1947-1950)

In 1947 it was decided that the airport would be reconstructed for civil aviation. Under the three-year plan 40 million forints were voted for those works. The opening ceremony was held in May 1950 and the sections finished allowed Magyar-Szovjet Polgári Légiforgalmi Rt. (Hungarian-Soviet Civil Aviation Co. Ltd. - MASZOVLET), established in 1946, to operate here. At that time the airlines operated only a few foreign flights, in particular those to Prague, Bucharest, Warsaw and Sophia.

Magyar Légiforgalmi Vállalat (Hungarian Airlines - Malév) was established on 25 November 1954. The first regular flight taking off from the airport to the West was the Malév’s flight into Vienna in summer 1956. The first Western airline which launched a flight to Budapest was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in 1957. The traffic building was finished in this period and the lengthening works of the 2500 m runway were started. At the end of 1958 the runway was lengthened to 3010 m and taxiway D was finished.

Continued growth (1960-1980)

The number of landings at Budapest Airport has increased from 4,786 at the opening to 17,133 and in passenger traffic from 49,955 to 359,338 by 1960.

In 1965, a study was made on the development of the airport, which was implemented with more than a 10-year delay from the end of the 1970s. Aviation, airport and flight control all called for more capacity and infrastructure. The Aviation and Airport Directorate (LRI) was established on 1 January 1973 and performed as an airline company, a trade company and an authority, as well as investment, operator and air navigation tasks.

In 1974, the passenger traffic of Budapest Airport reached one million. In 1977, a new control tower was built as well as a second runway parallel to the old one and a technical base for maintaining MALÉV aircraft. Use of the new 3,707 m runway was started in September 1983.

New infrastructure (1980-2000)

In 1980, the number of landing aircraft and passengers served reached 32,642 and 1,780,000, respectively. The growing number of passengers called for more capacity. A new terminal was decided upon. The foundation-stone of the new passenger traffic building to be built was laid down on 16 November 1983. As from 1 November 1985, passengers are received in Terminal 2, a facility in an area of 24 thousand square meters implemented from Austrian loans under general contracting. It was used by the aircraft and passengers of Malév and then by those of Lufthansa, Air France and Swissair. The old terminal has continued to receive the traffic of the airlines of other countries under a new name, Terminal 1.

In 1990 more than 40,0000 take-offs and landings were registered and 2.5 million passengers were served.

Terminal 1

From 1 September 2005, re-opened Terminal 1 serves all low-cost carriers. The terminal was totally renovated in full compliance with the requirements of monument protection, since the building is one of the finest examples of architectural modernism in Hungary as well as in Europe. The Terminal 1 building is unusual in that it resembles the shape of an aircraft viewed from above.

This terminal is divided by a glass wall into Schengen and Non-Schengen destinations.

Terminal 2A

Terminal 2A (originally Terminal 2, then renamed in 1998) was inaugurated on 1 November 1985, served mainly the flights of Malév Hungarian Airlines, but from 30 March 2008, it serves all Schengen destinations.

Terminal 2B

Although connected to Terminal 2A, it is referred to as a separate terminal (opened in December 1998). It serves all non-Schengen destinations.

In 1993, Malév launched the airport’s first Hungarian overseas flight to New York. According to the traffic figures forecast for the millennium, the two terminals serving 4 million passengers a year promised to be insufficient. The construction of Terminal 2B was started in 1997. The new building of an area of more than 30 thousand square metres, together with the traffic apron, was opened in 1998 and all the foreign airlines moved there. It can receive 3.5 million passengers a year with its seven stands near the building provided with passenger bridges and five remote stands.

Open Air Aircraft Exhibition

Explore the world of aviation in the Open Air Aircraft Exhibition at Ferihegy where we wait our visitors with a nationwide unique collection of aircrafts.

All major types of aircrafts used in Hungarian civil aviation are on show, from Li-2 used in the initial era to the imposing Tu-154 on duty till 2000.

Try the place of the captain or navigator in one of the pilot’s cabins or take a seat for some minutes as a “passenger” in one of our airliners. Tu-134 and Tu-154 are open for everybody. The exhibited seven aircrafts, the single rescue helicopter, and the landing radar all remind of the atmosphere of a mini airport where each visitor might taste the fascinating world of aviation.

Welcome in Open Air Aircraft Museum at Ferihegy

This collection was established in collaboration of the Air Traffic and Airport Directorate, the Transport Museum, friends of aviation and Malév. The things have been exhibited since 1989 in the area adjacent to the current one from where it was moved to its current place in autumn 1997 due to construction of 2B Terminal. The first aircraft, Tu-134 HA-LBE was hauled here on 3 October 1991. Next years the range of sights has widened. The exhibition could formerly be visited from the internal area of the Airport only in organized form, however, it has already become accessible for everybody since August 1998.

In 2002, the Open Air Museum was visited by 40,000 people, individuals and groups arrived at this famous place, from where aircrafts took off already 60 years ago, not only from Budapest and its neighbourhood but also from farthest regions of the country. From the lookout terraces of the close two terminals you can become well acquainted with the life of Ferihegy Airport because everything happens there before your eyes.

The air vehicles and control engineering devices exhibited in the Open Air Museum served aviation for a long time and well introduce the history of Hungarian aviation in the recent fifty years.

Future programme

An expenditure of 261 million euros is planned for expanding and modernising the airport’s infrastructure. Among the projects are:

Terminal expansion, including the construction of the 'BUD Skycourt' between terminals 2A and 2B
'Airport City' project, including a business park and a hotel with conference facilities
New car park
New piers
Apron development
New air cargo city

Budapest, Ferihegy (BUD/LHBP) Hungary - 2005

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