Ferenc Liszt International Airport Celebrates 75th Anniversary Next Spring

History and Naming of Ferenc Liszt Airport

The story of Ferenc Liszt International Airport begins in the 1700s, when Bavarian brewer Franz Mayer settled in Hungary. His son, Mayerffy Xavér Ferenc, later leased the hills between Vecsés and Rákoshegy and planted them with vines. The locals named the area Ferihegy after the successful and likeable tenant.

In 1942, construction began on the Budapest airport at this location. However, World War II intervened, and the airport’s grand opening was postponed to May 7, 1950, later than planned. The center of Hungarian civil aviation then entered the public consciousness as Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, which will celebrate its 75th birthday next year.

More than half a century after the opening, there was a desire to label the airport of the Hungarian capital with a name that would carry the reputation of Hungary’s gateway in a dignified manner. In 2011, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of world-famous Hungarian composer Ferenc Liszt, the Hungarian Parliament decided that the Budapest airport would bear his name, commemorating one of the outstanding figures of Hungary’s and all of Europe’s cultural heritage. The new name also includes the geographical name of the area where the airport is located.

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary

Just as music and the timeless masterpieces of world-famous composer Liszt (who was himself a great traveler and visited almost every major European city) connect people living in all corners of the world, so does travel. To mark the 75th anniversary of Hungary’s gateway in 2025, Budapest Airport is preparing a series of cultural events that will also pay tribute to the work of namesake Ferenc Liszt.

Moreover, next year holds another important anniversary in this regard: Liszt’s famous piece “Liebesträume” (Dreams of Love) will be 175 years old.

“It has always been important for VINCI Airports that the airports it operates preserve and represent the unique values and traditions characteristic of the given country,” said Francois Berisot, CEO of Budapest Airport. He emphasized: “This is why one of the most important focal points of our next year, in addition to developments and maintaining a high standard, is the dignified celebration of timeless values, the oeuvre of Ferenc Liszt and the 75th anniversary of the airport, nurturing Hungarian culture and aviation.”

Airport Development and Growth

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is in top form, with passenger traffic up nearly 20% and cargo traffic up 50% through August compared to the same period last year, according to Máté Lóga, State Secretary at the Ministry of National Economy (NGM) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Budapest Airport Zrt.

In the first eight months of this year, passenger traffic at Ferenc Liszt International Airport reached 11.4 million, 18.6% higher than the same period last year. Cargo traffic at the airport grew even faster, by 49.7%, exceeding 184,000 tons.

The increase in performance cannot be attributed to a single outstanding month or event, as this year’s development has been consistent, with total passenger traffic and total inbound flight numbers exceeding last year’s data in each individual month.

Up to August, the most popular destinations were London, Istanbul, Milan, Paris and Brussels. The airport’s new owners and operator aim to reach 20 million passengers by 2030 and 25 million by 2040.

The airport is not only of strategic importance for passenger transport and tourism, but also for freight transport, as it is one of the arteries of economic circulation. The goal is to attract a Chinese airline to establish a hub at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, which could further transport Chinese passengers westward from Budapest, in order to attract even more Chinese tourists to Hungary.

Image source: Budapest Airport