After handling 17.6 million passengers last year, this year has brought new records; since April, more than 1.5 million passengers passed through the airport every month, and the busiest summer ever was followed by an exceptional fall, with an average of 1.8 million passengers, according to the announcement.

The 19 millionth passenger was welcomed by Visit Hungary, the airline and Budapest Airport, part of the Vinci Airports network.

“Hungary’s growing appeal as a tourist destination, our airline development strategy based on diversification and VINCI Airports’ extensive partner network are all essential components of the dynamic passenger growth we are experiencing this year more strongly than ever before. We warmly welcomed our 19 millionth passenger of the year to Budapest,” said Francois Berisot, the CEO of Budapest Airport.

“As an airport operator, we are constantly working on developing the airport, in order to prepare it for the growing passenger traffic and to ensure the best possible experience for passengers visiting Hungary and departing from Budapest,” he emphasized.

Olivér Csendes, the CEO of Visit Hungary, highlighted: “Budapest Airport’s latest record clearly shows that conscious developments and Visit Hungary’s data-driven, experience-focused campaigns are achieving tangible results and increasing Hungary’s international appeal. It also confirms that our country and our capital city’s unparalleled sights, vibrant urban atmosphere and high-quality cultural and gastronomic offerings continue to make Hungary an outstanding travel destination. All this opens up new opportunities for the further development of tourism, which is also supported by developments to flights.”

“We are honored to welcome Budapest Airport’s 19 millionth passenger of the year on board an SAS flight arriving today from Copenhagen, and we greatly appreciate the continued confidence Hungarian travelers have placed in our services,” said Henrik Winell, vice president network at SAS Scandinavian Airlines.

He added, “Over the past year, we have invested in expanding our presence in Budapest, increasing our Copenhagen service to two daily flights in the coming summer season, improving connectivity via our largest hub to Scandinavia, USA/Canada, Asia and other destinations. It is very rewarding to see our efforts paying off through such strong and growing demand.”

Visit Hungary made the winner and their partner’s stay in Hungary even more memorable with an experience package redeemable in Budapest, while SAS surprised the winner with a return airline ticket for two, which can be freely used within the airline’s network.