Government’s Goal: Transforming Newly Acquired Airport into Central Europe’s Top Performer
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary recently met with Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of Vinci Concessions, in Paris to discuss the development plans for Budapest Airport. This meeting comes after the signing of a sale and purchase agreement for Budapest Airport Ltd., which took place on June 6, 2024.
The Hungarian State, represented as a financial and strategic investor, acquired an 80 percent stake in Budapest Airport Ltd. for a total of EUR 2.48 billion, while VINCI acquired a 20 percent stake for EUR 620 million. As part of the agreement, over EUR 1 billion will be invested in the airport over the next ten years, including the construction of a new terminal.
Vinci has committed to developing Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest as the most successful airport in Central Europe, according to the press chief. The board of directors of Budapest Airport has also been restructured following the acquisition, with Máté Lóga, State Secretary for Economic Development and National Financial Services, appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors by the state-owned Corvinus International Investment Ltd.
Other members of the Board include Ferenc Antal, Deputy State Secretary for Strategic Transactions; László Parragh, President of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Zoltán Guller, Chairman of the Board of Hungarian Tourism Agency. Vinci Airports has appointed Emmanuel Robert Menanteau to the Board of Directors to represent its interests.
Francois Philippe Pierre Bérisot, CEO of Belgrade Airport, will also join Budapest Airport, alongside other representatives from the state and Vinci Airports on the Supervisory Board. The collaboration between the Hungarian State and Vinci Concessions aims to facilitate the growth and development of Budapest Airport as a key hub in Central Europe.
