József Kossuth
W
hat’s the current situation at Budapest Airport following the COVID-19 lockdown? How is the airport reacting and responding to the pandemic? The changing needs during the COVID-19 crisis required some adaptation of the work structure at BUD as well, but fortunately cargo has been a stable point in the airport operations at BUD. Medical cargo has been booming in the last few months, while we see a stable general cargo flow as well. We’ve been able to set up an entry protocol for the international crew of cargo flights quite early with the help of local authorities. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has far-reaching consequences for the global economy. Nevertheless, the undisturbed transportation of goods must be ensured. Budapest Airport is working around the clock for maintaining seamless air cargo operations. As in addition to supporting the Hungarian economy, it also plays a key role in the operation of supply chains and in job retention in the related areas. The demand for dedicated cargo flights has increased considerably. Currently, there is an average of 25-30 cargo flights commuting to Budapest per day. In the January – June period, with 3,111 full cargo flights (up 23.7 per cent than first half of 2019), BUD handled 63,855 tonnes air cargo, a 2.9 per cent drop from the same period in 2019. The balance changed in favour of imports versus exports, 60-40 per cent compared to the equally balanced export and import division in the past. The share of medical and pharmaceutical transport increased to about 20 per cent in the total volume. BUD continues to play an important role in providing the markets with much-needed cargo, especially medical supplies. It can be assumed that approximately 15-20 per cent of the total traffic is connected to the current emergency, delivering primarily pharmaceutical products, such as PPE and sanitisers. In the last few months, the arrival of 46 |
september 2020
In spite of the challenging environment around the COVID-19 pandemic, Budapest Airport (BUD) managed to create a smooth operational environment for cargo flights with support of the dedicated teamwork and cooperation with all relevant stakeholders. These actions continue to deliver positive results. József Kossuth, Head of Cargo at Budapest Airport in a conversation with Ritika Arora Bhola, discusses how BUD has demonstrated that it understands the value of cargo as a revenue stream, and its proactive approach to building an air cargo handling solution and community that has not only benefitted its partners but the entire air cargo industry.
An ambitious master plan at BUD is in the making the special supplies at BUD was constant and given maximum support by the airport staff, the authorities and the Hungarian government. The stable cargo volumes at BUD well confirms the hard work and efforts of all the stakeholders of the logistics market in Hungary, logistics companies, airlines, the relevant ministries and authorities, and our colleagues at the airport.
Budapest airport recently celebrated the launch of the first non-stop route to the capital city of the UAE,
boosting the Middle East market. Apart from that, what are the new airline additions, both in terms of domestic and international operations? Wizz Air launched flights between Budapest and Abu Dhabi in a strategic move for their business which has also seen them become a pseudo UAE airline with a local operating license. From a passenger perspective, this opens many doors in that region and whilst they have not stated any aspirations to move into the belly cargo business, this could change in time.
