Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport is to open a bespoke Heinemann Duty Free store in the central hall of the new HUF11.5 billion/$39.3m million Pier 1 at the beginning of October. A Relay news and books store and Café Frei outlet will also begin trading in the next three weeks at the pier, which was commissioned for passenger operations today (12 August 2020).

Gebr. Heinemann operates around 2,320sq m of retail space in the airport’s Sky Court and celebrated 20 years of partnership with Budapest Airport in 2018.

Convenient waiting and rest areas, three high-capacity obstacle-free toilets and a smoking terrace can be found in the central hall of the new 11,500sq m Pier 1, from where the first passengers departed for Athens.

A major advantage of the new facility is that passengers do not have to leave the main terminal after check-in. Travellers can reach the new 120-meter building via a new connection building equipped with escalators and elevators.

The entire new Pier 1 passenger boarding facility was completed by 23 June 2020. Construction work commenced on 19 July 2020. All elements, including the corridor connection Terminal 2A were completed in just 330 days.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

The airport said: “With this, Budapest Airport fulfilled its promise to complete construction of the new pier before the beginning of the summer season. In the past few weeks, the airport operator was only awaiting the occupancy permit, which was needed to hand over the entire structure [including the connecting corridor — Ed] to passengers.

“The building satisfies all needs. Passengers can spend their time before departure in a beautiful and comfortable environment that is spacious and fully meets epidemiological criteria.”

Phase One was handed over by Budapest Airport in January. The glazed surfaces and wooden beams of the structure create a Scandinavian vibe, according to the airport. The implementation of Pier 1 is part of a cooperation program between the Hungarian Government and Budapest Airport. The latter fully funded the project from its own financial sources.

Pier 1, which increases space for passengers by several thousand square meters, ensures travellers can arrive or await departure in a bright, heated and air-conditioned building.

The facility offers shops and extra services to satisfy traveller needs and provides eight pedestrian boarding gates directly connected to aircraft stands. This enables a smooth and convenient boarding process.

There are also six boarding gates where buses transport passengers to airplanes parked on remote stands.

With capacity for up to 5,000 passengers at the same time, Pier 1 offers 2,500 seats in the waiting areas. The airport has installed 580 USB chargers, enabling passengers to charge gadgets before departure. Flight information is available throughout the pier via 149 flight information display screens and 145 public address loudspeakers.

Dr Rolf Schnitzler, CEO of Budapest Airport Zrt said: “I am very proud of the new pier and the feedback we are receiving from passengers, airline partners and ground-handlers who are completely satisfied with the new facility. This building is one of the gems in our series of airport development projects that have been ongoing for more than a year.

“It clearly demonstrates that the continuous improvement of service quality is our top priority. We spent €100 million on development over 12 months and we will not stop the process in upcoming years either. Airport management is fully committed to continuously improving the facilities and the passenger experience, while aiming to maintain our position of best airport in the region.”