Ferenc Liszt International Airport named best in Europe

Ferenc Liszt National Airport has been voted the best European airport among airports with 15-25 million passengers, based on passenger feedback – as published by Airports Council International (ACI) today. This award is one of the highest accolades for an airport, and has been made possible by the hard work of all partners operating at Budapest Airport, the developments undertaken by the airport operator since 2019, which have now reached 100 billion HUF and the efforts made by the management of Budapest Airport to improve the quality of airport services. Without this joint effort, the airport operator would not have achieved this result.

Ferenc Liszt International Airport and its operator, Budapest Airport have received huge, unprecedented recognition. Airports Council International (ACI) has named Budapest Airport as the winner of the Best Airport of 15 to 25 Million Passengers in Europe Award. The accolade is based on an international and independent survey, relying solely on passenger feedback. 

Each year, ACI maps the quality of services at nearly 400 international airports worldwide, through a survey covering more than 30 performance indicators. During personal interviews with passengers, the entire passenger journey is examined, providing a complex picture of the passenger experience at the airport, from the moment of entry, through the time spent at the airport, until boarding. Each quarter of last year brought outstanding results in terms of service quality at Budapest Airport, with ratings exceeding all previous scores and those of our regional competitors. Overall passenger satisfaction scores were above 4 on a scale of 5 throughout the year and significantly higher overall than during the busiest year of 2019.

"Putting the traveler at the center is more important than ever, and it is the way forward. We are proud of the team at Budapest Airport for winning the Best Airport of 15 to 25 Million Passengers in Europe Award. This shows that the whole airport community has come together to put the passenger first,” said Luis Felipe de Oliveira, the director general of ACI World.

“We are extremely proud that Ferenc Liszt International Airport has become the best in Europe. However, this is not only a success for Budapest Airport, but for the entire airport community; we have been top rated for all the efforts we have made together over the years to improve the quality of the airport. We are working every day to provide the best passenger experience and to make Ferenc Liszt International Airport a worthy gateway to Hungary, where it is a pleasure to depart and a joy to arrive,” said Chris Dinsdale, the CEO of Budapest Airport. He added: “Four years ago, we embarked on a massive development program together with our shareholders, but this did not just involve the construction of new buildings. Quality and an excellent passenger experience are our top priority, and this should be reflected in services, a relaxed and stress-free journey, kindness and cleanliness, among other things.”

The value of the developments implemented by Budapest Airport in the last 4 years reached 90 billion HUF by the end of 2022 and will exceed 100 billion HUF by the spring of 2023. The developments include capacity expansion, infrastructure, sustainability and other investments to enhance the passenger experience.

The airport operator keeps winning the most prestigious international awards. Last year, Budapest Airport won the Skytrax Best Airport in Eastern Europe award for the ninth year in a row, and recent developments have also led to the airport being awarded the Family-friendly Venue Certification mark. Last year, the cargo business also received prestigious recognition when it won the Air Cargo News Awards Cargo Hub of the Year, bettering Singapore, Brussels and Liège. Budapest Airport continues to be part of an international elite group of 34 airports that operate in a carbon neutral way, and the company’s sustainability efforts have also earned it second place in the Green Balance category at the Effekt 2030 awards and the Deloitte Green Frog Award. Budapest Airport’s outstanding marketing activities were recognized by the World Routes Marketing Awards for Best Airline Marketing, and the company’s communication efforts were recognized at the Eventiada IPRA Golden World Awards 2020 for Best Reputation Management. As an employer, the company has received the Investors In People Gold award, and has been ranked as one of the top 7 employers in the world among the companies surveyed by the organization.

The owners and management of Budapest Airport are committed to further, continuous investments, including the reopening of Terminal 1 and the construction of Terminal 3, to contribute to further enhancing quality at the airport and the growth of tourism in Hungary.