Irish budget carrier Ryanair has announced plans to resume flights to the Hungarian capital with new summer 2012 links to be introduced to Budapest Liszt Ferenc International from Birmingham, Bologna, Bristol, Dublin and London Stansted. The new routes will commence in March and the low-cost carrier estimates they will deliver around 200,000 annual passengers to the airport.
Four of these routes will be new to Budapest, but there are already existing flights to the Irish capital Dublin. These are provided on a daily basis by Aer Lingus and on a five times weekly frequency by Malev Hungarian Airlines. Although London Stansted will be a new destination there are already over 60 flights a week between Budapest and the UK capital with easyJet and Malev serving Gatwick, British Airways flying to Heathrow as well as easyJet and Wizz Air offering links to Luton.
Ryanair began serving Budapest from 2006 and significantly expanded its schedules in 2007, but it pulled out at the end of the Northern Summer timetable in late October 2010 after failing to reach agreement with the airport’s management on revised operating terms. At this time Ryanair operated flights from Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands and Glasgow Prestwick but had committed to expand its network to cover more destinations across Continental Europe, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean in returns for a reduction in fees.
“We are delighted at this news from Ryanair and the addition of three new UK destinations, comprising two strong regional airports and another London airport together with an important link to Dublin and to Bologna in Italy. This is a great new year present,” said Jost Lammers, Chief Executive Officer, Budapest Airport . “We have been courting Ryanair for some time to return to Budapest on a win-win basis and with the support of the Hungarian National Tourist Office, which has reinstated the Aviation Marketing Fund, we are very pleased to welcome them back with the start of the summer timetable.”
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