Ferenc Liszt International Airport

From hills to runways

The site of today’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport was once home to quiet sand dunes and vineyards. At the end of the 18th century, Ferenc Xavér Mayerffy leased the area between Vecsés and Rákoshegy, where he planted vines and established an estate called Feri-major. This name later evolved almost imperceptibly into Ferihegy, which today serves as a symbol of the nation’s air travel. Back then, no one could have imagined that hundreds of airplanes would one day take off from this hilly landscape day after day, connecting continents from a single point.

When Budapest needed a new airport

By the early 20th century, Budapest’s air traffic had outgrown the capacity of the Budaörs Airport. The increase in traffic, the introduction of larger aircraft, and growing international demand made it clear that the city needed a new airport.

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In 1938, the decision was made to build a completely new airport. Selecting the site required significant preparatory work. Based on meteorological observations, wind direction analyses, and soil tests, the area bordering Pestszentlőrinc, Vecsés, and Rákoshegy was chosen. The flat terrain and stable gravelly soil proved ideal for a modern airport.

A building shaped like an airplane

The design competition for the main building of the first terminal was won by Károly Dávid Jr., who brought a truly unique concept to life. He designed the building to resemble an airplane when viewed from above. The central hall became the fuselage, the lateral wing buildings evoked the wings of an airplane, while the vertical elements created the impression of engines.

This architectural concept was not only spectacular but also deeply symbolic; the building itself embodied the idea of flight. It was a meeting of modernism and functionalism in an era when flight was still considered a promise of the future.

War, destruction, and rebirth

Construction began in 1940, but World War II soon brought the work to a halt. Due to the airport’s strategic importance, it was the target of heavy attacks. Bombing raids, followed by destruction wrought by retreating troops, rendered the infrastructure almost completely unusable. 

After the war, the area lay in ruins, but the demand for air travel quickly revived the project. Reconstruction began in 1947, requiring a massive national effort.

Finally, on May 7, 1950, the new airport was officially opened; it was one of the most modern facilities of its time, featuring a spacious terminal, a restaurant, a children’s play area, state-of-the-art customs and passport control, as well as control and meteorological towers. The first flights departed for Prague, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Sofia, opening Budapest to international air traffic.

Decades of steady growth

By the 1960s and 1970s, the airport had already become one of the leading airports in Central and Eastern Europe. Traffic grew dynamically, necessitating continuous upgrades, including the construction of new transit terminals, radar equipment, extended runways, and modernized air traffic control systems.

This development clearly illustrates the transformation. While only a few thousand passengers passed through the airport annually in its early days, by the 1970s more than one million people were using the airport each year. Ferihegy gradually became a regional hub.

New runways and the iconic control tower

The 1980s ushered in a new era. The second runway, 3,707 meters long, was completed, making the airport capable of handling even the largest intercontinental aircraft. It was then that the iconic control tower, standing on “stilt-like legs,” was built, and it remains one of the airport’s most distinctive features to this day. The tower became not only a technical hub but also a visual symbol.

At the same time, Ferihegy 2 terminal was built, bringing a new level of quality to passenger traffic. Passenger bridges, large glass surfaces, and state-of-the-art interiors appeared, evoking the world of modern international airports.

SkyCourt – the new heart of the airport

In the late 2000s, the airport was expanded with a new central element: SkyCourt. This building connected Terminals 2A and 2B, creating a new, unified passenger hub.

The spaces in SkyCourt are bright, spacious, and open, with massive glass surfaces allowing natural light to flood into the building. This was not merely an aesthetic change but also the foundation for a new passenger experience. A hub was created where the hustle and bustle of the airport becomes orderly, almost urban in its logic.

During construction, KÉSZ Group played a key role in the project, contributing to the project’s implementation by coordinating the complex technical and organizational challenges. The airport’s entire technical infrastructure was also modernized: new transformer stations, high-capacity electrical networks, state-of-the-art security systems, and approximately 2,500-point CAT7 structured cabling were installed. The total weight of the steel structure reached 1,500 tons. The project received outstanding professional recognition and was awarded the Construction Industry Quality Award.

The name of Franz Liszt and the modern airport

In 2011, the airport was officially renamed after Franz Liszt, paying tribute to the world-famous Hungarian composer. Although many people still refer to it as Ferihegy in everyday speech, the name change also marked the beginning of a new era. The airport has been continuously developing ever since. Low-cost airlines have emerged, the number of long-haul flights has increased, and cargo traffic has also seen significant growth. A rapid recovery followed the downturn during the Covid period, and by 2024 a new record was set with more than 17.5 million passengers.

Source of images: KÉSZ Group