Budapest Airport, which welcomed more passengers than ever before in 2017 by passing the 13 million mark, hosted an awards ceremony last night to thank its valued business partners who continue to play a significant role in its aviation and retail development. Recognizing those which stood out in various fields throughout the last 12 months, the Hungarian gateway took the opportunity to praise each and every one of its associates which had boosted the airport’s development throughout 2017.
The full list of winners:
Category 2017 Winner
Best Newcomer Airline Ukraine International Airlines
Best Developing Long-Haul Airline Air China
Most Punctual Airline Aer Lingus
Best Performing Long-Haul Airline Air Canada Rouge
Best Developing Short-Haul Airline TAP Portugal
Best Marketing Award Aegean Airlines
Best Performing Cargo Airline Cargolux
Best Performing Integrator DHL Express & TNT Express
Best Performing Belly Cargo Airline Emirates
Best Developing Airline Wizz Air
Greenairport Partner of the Year Menzies Aviation Hungary Kft
Retail of the Year – Food & Beverage AmRest Kft – KFC
Retail of the Year – Unit Operator Mágint Pannónia – Desigual
Retail of the Year –
Highest absolute turnover growth Magyar Lapterjesztő Zrt – Relay SkyCourt
Held in Budapest’s historic Terminal 1 Event Center, an audience of some 300 guests gathered for the prize-giving evening in the former departures lounge of the protected building.
“The fantastic results we achieved last year were due to the overall support and involvement from our closely-held partners,” explained Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport at the ceremony. “This is a joint achievement for all at Budapest, and tonight we thank everyone who has contributed to the airport’s outstanding figures, helping us remain one of Europe’s fastest growing major airports,” added Lammers.
A word from the winners:
Best Newcomer Airline – Ukraine International Airlines. Ervin Nemes, Country Manager, Hungary: “Reuniting the Ukraine and Hungary last year was a significant step towards the improvement of the economic and tourism ties between our two countries. Our reliable service has built a bridge for our customers from both nations, and our hub has quickly become a popular transfer point for our growing number of Hungarian travelers. With our new links to Asia starting this year we can foresee a stronger bond grow between us at Budapest and we thank them for recognizing our potential future success with this award.”
Most Punctual Airline – Aer Lingus. Damian Renehan, Regional Operations Manager: “In such a competitive market it’s a rewarding acknowledgement to be among the nominees for this award, so to win is a real high point – and indeed a proud moment for our team. Our guests rely on us to be on time and we in turn have to rely on not just ourselves, but the airport and many other partners – at Budapest this support is among the best in the business.”
Best Developing Load Factor Short-Haul – TAP Air Portugal. Peter Szolnok, Sales Manager: “We are delighted to win this award in our first year of reopening Budapest. We only started flying again to the city in July last year, but the route is developing well thanks to the support of our airport partners. On this basis, TAP Air Portugal looks forward to continuing its presence in this beautiful city for a long time.”
Best Marketing – Aegean Airlines. Robert Faltermann, Regional Key Account Manager – Central Europe: “It is great that our hard work in marketing has been recognized by our partner Budapest Airport. Improved awareness through our marketing campaigns directed towards passengers and the travel trade has meant that the capacity on our Athens service will be successful again this summer. The award will have pride of place in our office!”
Best Performing Belly Cargo – Emirates. Rene Patek, Cargo Manager Austria: “Since we started this route less than four years ago, our cargo throughput has grown year-on-year ‒ which is a fantastic achievement. We have every expectation that this impressive record will continue as the route matures still further. This outstanding performance is due to the hard work of the Emirates family – its staff, its partners and its customers ‒ and a world-beating product.”
