The message throughout the evening was centred around the airport’s gratitude for the collaborative efforts of partners, emphasising the importance of teamwork and cooperation – highlighting the achievements made through joint endeavours, showcasing how the airport has overcome challenges and achieved new results through the strength of its community.
Budapest Airport hosted its Annual Award Gala, a spectacular event that celebrated achievements and highlighted successes, in a unique and engaging manner for all who attended. The concept of the evening, aptly named “BUD Symphony – Elevating Excellence”, reflected the airport’s commitment to innovation, teamwork, and forging strong partnerships.
During his speech on the night, Kam Jandu, CEO, Budapest Airport declared: “The airport is a special place, a complex ecosystem, where the coordinated functioning and harmony of all players is necessary to ensure safe operations combined with high-quality passenger experience. Over the past year, BUD has received more national and international awards and recognition than ever before, and we look on these as a shared achievement.” Jandu added: “Being voted the best airport in Europe last year is a collective success for the airport community, which we could only achieve by being directly and indirectly committed to becoming the best. We are grateful to our partners for their effective collaboration, and this evening we are honoured to recognise some of them and celebrate the successes of 2023 together in symphony!”
2023 winners are:
| Category | 2023 Winner |
| Greenairport Partner of the Year | Menzies Aviation |
| Media Partner of the Year | TV2 – Média Factory Kft. |
| Best Company in Airport Construction | ÁR-LA Magyarország Kft. |
| Best Newcomer Regular Full-freighter Operator | Sichuan Airlines |
| Best Developing Cargo Charter Operator | Universal Translink Airline – Wizz Air |
| Best Developing Regular Full-freighter Operator | Qatar Airways Cargo |
| Retailer of the Year | Leroy Bistro |
| Best Commercial Passenger Services Partner | Mercur Rent a Car Kft. |
| Best Marketing Airline | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| Best Load Factor Wide-body Operator | Korean Air |
| Far East Carrier with Largest Capacity of the Year | China Eastern |
| Best Newcomer Airline | Air Serbia |
| European Full-service Carrier with Largest Capacity Growth of the Year | Iberia |
| Most Punctual Airline | Qatar Airways |
| Most Innovative Airport Service Provider | B+N Referencia Zrt. |
| Airport Security Technology Provider of the Year | H1 Systems |
Insights from the winners:
- Retailer of the Year 2023 – Leroy Bistro: Katalin Trepka, Restaurant Manager: “Last year we achieved unprecedented turnover growth without expanding our physical footprint at Budapest Airport. With an outstanding 70% increase in our sales when compared to 2019, and a remarkable 30% growth compared to 2022, I believe we are on the right path of excellence in the retail industry. It’s an honour to be awarded tonight at this superb gala.”
- Best Newcomer Regular Full-freighter Operator – Sichuan Airlines: Li Shizhong, Vice General Manager, Marketing Management Center: “We are very happy to receive this award from Budapest Airport. We take pride in being the largest airline in Western China, and our success is a testament to our commitment to excellence. Starting our scheduled operations in April 2023 at BUD with three weekly flights marked the beginning of a remarkable journey. Witnessing such a successful start fuelled our determination, leading us to increase our frequency to six weekly flights between Chengdu and Budapest. We are grateful for the recognition and look forward to continuing our contribution to the growth and efficiency of air cargo operations.”
- Best Marketing Airline – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: Anett Tyukodi, Regional Marketing Coordinator, Events & Partnerships: “We are deeply honoured to be recognised as the recipient of the ‘Best Airline Marketing Award’, a testament to our commitment to creating meaningful connections. Our ‘Karjaidban Landolok’ Christmas campaign, in collaboration with Budapest Airport, was a heartfelt endeavour to bring joy to Hungarians living abroad and a success in embodying the spirit of togetherness.”
- Best Newcomer Airline – Air Serbia: Bojan Arandelović, Head of Network Planning and Scheduling: “We take pride in reuniting families and meeting the dynamic scheduling needs of business travellers. With an average of double-daily flights at Budapest, we have unwavering trust in the region’s potential. This frequency not only highlights our reliability but also indicates a significant milestone in meeting the longstanding demand for enhanced air travel options. Tonight’s award is a testament to our commitment to excellence and the positive impact we’ve made on fostering stronger connections between our countries.”
- Far East Carrier with Largest Capacity of the Year – China Eastern: Jie Qiu, “Director General Hungary & Italy: “After initially joining Budapest in 2019, we resumed operations after the pandemic in November 2022, which led to the launch of a new destination in the summer of 2023. With up to seven weekly flights during the peak season, we offered 134,000 two-way seat capacity in the last calendar year, connecting Hungary to the wider region of East Asia, South-East Asia, and Australia. This award is a testament to our remarkable journey during challenges and emerging stronger.”
- Best Developing Regular Full-freighter Operator – Korean Air: Diana Papp, Sales Representative, Budapest Office: “We are truly honoured to receive the ‘Best Developing Regular Full-freighter Operator’ Award. Our entire appreciation goes to our business partners who helped us to achieve these outstanding results. It is gratifying to know that our commitment to excellence has had a positive impact.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
