Budapest Airport (BUD) in Hungary has inaugurated air cargo handling facility BUD Cargo City following the completion of the first construction phase.
The €50m BUD Cargo City houses a 21,200m² warehouse and office facility and an 11,650m² forwarder building that will be occupied next year.
The facility is expected to optimise the efficiency of cargo handling.
In addition, the logistics base features a concrete apron adjacent to the facility, which spans 32,000m² for the loading and unloading procedures for two Boeing 747-8F aircraft.
In September last year, BUD began construction of the BUD Cargo City, which is part of the €160m BUD:2020 Development Programme at the airport.
The facility is expected to boost the airport’s cargo handling capacity to 250,000t annually after the commissioning.
In 2018, the airport handled 146,113t of air cargo. The cargo managed is said to be stable this year despite international trade conflicts.
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Levente Magyar said: “This investment fits into the programme of the Hungarian Government intended to strengthen the logistic sector, besides rail and road developments and the Trieste port project.”
Budapest Airport CEO Rolf Schnitzler said: “Liszt Ferenc International Airport is one of the major strategic facilities of the country, one of the largest employers in the region, and the most attractive workplace.
“Our operation is transparent, stable, and sustainable. Our position in the region is becoming stronger regarding passengers as well as air freight, which is also supported by the BUD Cargo City opening today.
“All this is the result of joint efforts, we really appreciate the effective support we received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the neighbouring municipalities.”