A new player in the Hungarian air market: Hungary Airlines can start in December

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 11. 04. 10:10

According to the report of the international air freight portal Cargo Facts, the airline operating under the name Hungary Airlines Kft. may start operations in Hungary in December. This news attracted the attention of several Hungarian media, such as Index and HVG, who analyzed the changes in detail. Although at first many believed that a new “Malév” was being created, the reality is more nuanced than that – Telex writes.

Hungary Airlines Kft. is not a completely new player on the market; it was previously known as Hungary Cargo Airlines Kft., and even earlier as Universal Translink Airline Hungary Kft. The essence of the transformation is that the company registered in the Vecsés Airport Cargo Center will soon be able to obtain an official license to operate commercial aircraft. From December, the company will be able to operate with a state-owned A330–200F cargo plane, which was previously used by Qatar Airways and then purchased by the Hungarian state in 2020.

During the Covid epidemic, the Hungarian state decided to buy its own cargo plane. However, operating the plane presented challenges as the state did not have its own entity that could handle it according to air traffic regulations. As a result, Wizz Air became the partner, although the low-cost airline had no experience in cargo transport. The cooperation did not prove to be ideal in the long term, so Hungary Airlines is now taking over the task.

Hungary Airlines is backed by Chinese and Hungarian leaders. The managing director is Duan Bo, who has lived in Hungary for decades. The ownership background is complex: a smaller part is owned by a Chinese cargo company called Utlink, and a larger part is owned by the famous Chinese businessman Wu Jiang (Wu Jiang). Mr. Vu is a recognized member of the Chinese community living in Hungary, who owns several domestic companies and is known as a logistics specialist.

The operation of the company is an important step in the Hungarian aviation sector, but it is not a new “Malév”. Hungary Airlines will be a legally registered Hungarian airline with EU status, but with Chinese background and influence, which brings interesting dynamics to Hungarian and Chinese relations. This background can be particularly important in the global freight market, where capacities are subject to international competition. Hungary Airlines, as a new operator, can provide services with which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can even support the traffic of goods important to the state.