New peaks in passenger and freight traffic: Hungary set a record in air transport in 2024

Air transport is the engine of the economy

Air transport plays a key role in the global economy: it is able to transport passengers and goods quickly, reliably and over long distances. Despite the resumption of world trade after the coronavirus pandemic and the challenges following the pandemic – such as the Russian-Ukrainian war or high fuel prices – the sector has regained strength. In 2023, 4.4 billion passengers and 61.4 million tonnes of freight were transported by air worldwide, although passenger and freight tonne-kilometre figures were still slightly below 2019 levels.

Ferihegy: 98% of traffic handled by a single airport

In Hungary, Liszt Ferenc International Airport, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, accounted for nearly 98% of air passenger traffic in 2024. Budapest Airport’s traffic increased by around 20% compared to the previous year, providing access to 64 countries with 114,000 flights. The most popular destinations were the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain and Turkey. The average load factor for flights was around 83%.

Freight transport: the Hungarian cargo sector has exploded

Freight transport in Hungary already exceeded its pre-pandemic level in 2021, but in 2024 it reached a new record: 237 thousand tons of cargo appeared at the airports – almost 2.5 times the 2019 value. The growth is driven by the expansion of Budapest’s Cargo City and other logistics developments. In the first two months of the year, freight traffic increased by 50 percent, putting Budapest ahead of both Vienna and Munich in terms of cargo volume handled.