SINGAPORE, 29 October 2025: Budapest Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, is heading for a record winter season with substantial increases in seat capacities, new destinations, and connectivity through Hungary’s airport gateway.
This winter, Budapest will offer an impressive 8.9 million seats, a 12.5% increase over the winter season 2024. The route network will expand to 182 routes, up by 26, further increasing inbound passenger volume in the winter period, which has already recorded an increase of over one million additional foreign air passengers, year-to-date, in August.
Seven new destinations and routes are being introduced in W25, including two easyJet flights to France: one to Nantes Airport, also part of the VINCI Airports network, and a new route to Bordeaux, bringing the airline’s total to seven destinations operated through the Budapest airport.
Jet2.com will add Newcastle and East Midlands, Ryanair will open Marrakech, while Wizz Air will commence Turin and Tallinn. In addition, SAS, which began operations in Copenhagen in April 2025 with four weekly flights, will ramp up services in W25, operating daily in November, December, and March, and at least five weekly flights for the remainder of the season.
Recent market analysis highlights substantial indirect traffic on long-haul routes not yet served directly from Budapest. Demand continues to rise significantly for destinations in the last 12 months to June, such as New York (124,000 passengers, +17% YoY), Toronto (40,000 passengers, +7% YoY), Hanoi (40,000 passengers, +24% YoY), Bangkok (40,000 passengers, +33% YoY), and Seoul (37,000 passengers, +37%YoY).
Based on recent figures, further growth is anticipated across these markets in W25 due to strong demand by Hungarian travellers and the attractiveness of the Christmas Markets in Budapest for long-haul markets.
These figures reflect Budapest’s growing role as a key Central European gateway — and its readiness to absorb more nonstop long-haul services.
Sneak peek for summer 2026
Looking ahead to Summer 2026, Budapest’s connectivity will take another leap forward with American Airlines returning after six years with nonstop service to Philadelphia, while Air Canada will resume its popular direct flight to Toronto.
Condor will enter the market as a new carrier, enhance links to Frankfurt with three daily flights, and benefit from a new Hungary–China bilateral air service agreement, enabling further expansion of weekly frequencies between the two countries.
“Budapest Airport is entering a bold new chapter of diversified growth by utilising off-peak capacity and welcoming new airlines and destinations. With a record-setting winter season ahead, fuelled by both inbound and outbound tourism demand, and a major long-haul transatlantic development on the horizon, we are more committed than ever to keep Budapest Airport’s position as the No. 1 airport in the Central and Eastern European region,” said Budapest Airport CCO Markus Klaushofer.
Asian airlines serving Budapest
Air China, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Korean Air and Shanghai. There are seven direct routes from Budapest to cities in China: Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xian.
The airport’s two longest routes are Budapest (BUD) to Guangzhou (CAN), which takes around 11 hours and 10 minutes, and Budapest (BUD) to Shanghai (PVG) with a flight time of 11 hours and 5 minutes.
(Source: Vinci Airports)
