Photo by Budapest Airport/Róbert Baranyi

The first phase of Pier 1 was handed over by Budapest Airport already in January.

The airport argues that the new facility makes boarding and disembarkation faster and more convenient for passengers as aircraft are parked in the vicinity of the building.

The construction of the pier, with a price tag of HUF 11.5 billion HUF (EUR 33 million) – was started on July 19 last year, and execution of all sections including the corridor connecting it to Terminal 2A was completed in 339 days.

In the past few weeks the airport operator was only waiting for delivery of the occupancy permit to be able to hand over the entire structure (including the connecting corridor) to passengers.

The development is part of the cooperation program between the Hungarian Government and Budapest Airport; the project was fully funded by Budapest Airport from its own financial sources.

Development to continue in upcoming years, CEO says

“I am very proud of the new pier and the feedback we are receiving from passengers, airline partners, and ground-handlers who are completely satisfied with the new facility,” says Rolf Schnitzler, CEO of Budapest Airport. “This building is one of the gems in our series of airport development projects that have been ongoing for more than a year now, and it clearly demonstrates that the continuous improvement of service quality is our top priority. Over 12 months we spent EUR 100 million on development, and we will not stop the process in upcoming years either.

“Airport management is fully committed to continuously improving the facilities and the passenger experience, also aiming to maintain our position of best airport in the region,” he adds.

Pier 1, equipped with both heating and air conditioning, provides eight pedestrian boarding gates directly connected to aircraft stands, and six boarding gates where buses transport passengers to airplanes parked on remote stands.

The central hall of the pier features convenient waiting and rest areas, three high-capacity obstacle-free toilet blocks, and a smoking terrace.

According to the press release, a Relay newspaper and book store and a Cafe Frei outlet will open in the next three weeks, followed by a Heinemann duty-free store at the beginning of October.

Thanks to a 120 m long connection building, equipped with escalators and elevators, the pier is directly connected to Terminal 2A.

The new facility can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers at the same time, offering 2,500 seats in total.

In addition, Budapest Airport installed 580 USB chargers in the pier where passengers can charge their appliances before departure.

Flight information is made available throughout the pier by 149 display screens and 145 public address loudspeakers.