Budapest Ferihegy International Airport: Past and Present

Budapest Ferihegy International Airport provides service to the Hungarian capital city and is currently the second largest airport in the European Union member states. According to the most recent statistics, the airport serves over eight million passengers annually. It also provides international connection to five continents, which makes Ferihegy Airport much more than just a European hub.

Where to go?

Budapest Ferihegy International Airport is only about ten miles from downtown Budapest and can be reached by car, bus, or train. The airport was named after the previous land owner, Feri Mayerffy, a master Hungarian brewer.

Shortly before the Second World War, in 1938, the idea of building an airport on the outskirts of Budapest was first considered. The land that was selected for this huge new project was in the boundary of three small settlements. Originally, the airport was supposed to be for military, sporting and civil purposes. Theses facilities were to be separate, with one building dedicated to each.

At the outbreak of war, the project managers made the bold decision to press on and to begin work on the airport as soon as possible. In late 1939, they choose Karoly David Jr. as the head architect. As one of the most original designers of his day and a founder of Hungarian architectural art, Karoly David Jr. had a bold plan for his new project. It was his dream to build a structure that resembled an airplane from the sky.

After two years of planning, the work began in 1942. But before they even broke ground on the airport, construction crews built a ten mile road that leads to the airport, which is still used today.

As the war dragged on, civil construction projects at the airport were abandoned in favor of military buildings and facilities. In the last days of the war, many building at the airport were damaged or destroyed. And in 1944, the incomplete airport and Budapest itself were occupied by the Soviet Red Army.

After years of debate, in 1947 it was finally decided that the Budapest airport would be rebuilt and completed for civil use only. After three years of hard work, the airport was finally opened to the public in May of 1950.

Though Budapest Ferihegy International Airport began as a European airport, in later years they would grow into a truly international hub. In fact, by 1960 the number of passengers had grown from just 50,000 in the first year to 350,000 a decade later. And by the mid seventies, the airport reached the million passenger milestone, making it one of the busiest hubs in all of Europe.

But that was just the beginning of the airport's skyrocketing popularity. By 1980, the airport served nearly 1.8 million passengers a year, and a decade later, in 1990, that figure had grown to 2.5 million. This increased activity made it necessary to build a new terminal in the mid-eighties.

In 1993, the airport also reached another impressive milestone as they launched their first flight to New York City. As the decade wore on, it became patently clear that two terminals to serve four million passengers a year, was not nearly enough. To deal with the problem, the airport approved the construction of a massive new terminal. The new structure would have an area of over thirty-thousand square meters-that's meters not feet!-which is enough to serve more than 3.5 million passengers annually.

Traveling to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport

Now that you know the history and passenger statistics of Ferihegy Airport, if you are planning a trip to the Hungarian capital, make sure you book your flight weeks in advance. As we mentioned, several times, Ferihegy is an extremely busy airport and incoming flights can be quite crowded.

Where to look?

When it comes to booking a flight to Budapest, the place to start is the internet. There you will find a many reputable travel sites that offer great deals for online users. And since overseas flights are so expensive these days, it is a good idea to take advantage of all of your online options.

One easy way to save a substantial amount of money on your trip to Budapest is to find a package deal. If you have never heard of a package deal, basically it is when an agency bundles your airfare and hotel room together and offers you a great discount if you agree to purchase both. Hotels and airlines love these package deals because they give them guaranteed customers who often book their trips weeks, even months in advance. 

Looking for accommodation? Keep in mind the Budapest apartments!