BUD witnesses double-digit air cargo growth

Budapest Airport (BUD) is celebrating a new all-time-high record after processing a total of 13,313 tonnes of airfreight at the Hungarian hub last month, its largest figure ever for the month of October.

The figure, which represents both trucked and flown freight, is a 22.9 percent increase when compared to the same period in 2017, and is only the latest development after several years of strong double-digit growth at BUD.

The period from January 2018 to October 2018 saw a 16.3 percent year-to-year increase in air cargo processed at BUD, amounting to a total of 120,603 tonnes.

“As of today, our figures for 2018 have already overtaken the entire year of 2017, when we processed 127,145 tonnes of airfreight at BUD, which was our highest yearly amount on record,” said René Droese, Executive Director Property and Cargo at Budapest Airport.

“Airfreight volumes at BUD continue to grow at an impressive rate, and we will soon be reaching yet another milestone as our 12 months’ volume, currently at 144,017 tonnes, approaches an unprecedented 150,000 tonnes,” he added.

Between 2015 and 2017 air cargo traffic volume at BUD increased by 39.1 percent.

“This growth proves how vital our new Cargo City development will be in order to continue coping with increased demand from carriers around the world, and we are excited about the new capabilities this new facility will bring when it opens in the fourth quarter of 2019,” said Droese.

“Construction began in September 2018 and is making swift progress.”

Earlier this year, Budapest Airport launched the €32.6m Cargo City, which includes a 20,000 sq m cargo handling facility and dedicated freighter stands, as part of the BUD:2020 program.

The development is being set up with the aim of centralising cargo operations at the Hungarian hub and greatly expanding the airport’s handling capacity.

In 2017, the airport opened two state-of-the art express facilities to supply increasing volumes from the express and e-commerce business.

Under the slogan ‘Connect Differently’, BUD is also working closely with Düsseldorf, and Hamburg airports in order to showcase the three airports’ regional cargo operations across Europe and beyond.