This significant expansion also marks the return of the first long-haul flights from the Americas to Budapest since American Airlines and Delta Air Lines North Atlantic services ceased in 2011.
Continuing the trend of its exceptional growth and the enhancements of its route network, Budapest Airport announces the return of a long-haul service to the Americas, securing a new weekly service with Air Transat to Canada, starting next summer. Set to begin 18 June 2015, the seasonal route will serve Toronto Pearson International Airport, with an intermediate stop at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Operated by the carrier’s A330s, the launch will see the second wide-body scheduled service secured by the Hungarian gateway after the new daily Dubai service from Emirates, starting 27 October.
Following a break of six years since Toronto has been directly served, this significant expansion also marks the return of the first long-haul flights from the Americas to Budapest since American Airlines and Delta Air Lines North Atlantic services ceased in 2011. By serving its main bases at Toronto and Montreal, Air Transat will add 345 seats to Budapest’s market of 3,423 weekly long-haul seats (currently mainly in the Middle East) giving the Canadian holiday airline a 10% share of all scheduled long-haul seats at the airport. (Source: Innovata schedule data, week commencing 2 November 2014, with flights over 4.5 hours considered
long-haul.)
Commenting on this key development, Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, says: “We have been working hard for years with our Canadian partners to start this new service and now we are proud to announce the success of our joint effort with the start the new flights.” Lammers added: “With a sizeable number of people living in the Toronto and Montreal area with Hungarian ancestry or family ties the new flight is for sure to be a success.”
The launch of Air Transat’s services provides a vital direct route from North America to Budapest, one of Europe’s most popular and fast-growing cities. All the preliminary research shows there is real demand for this kind of service, both in the leisure and the business segment, and will soon lead to increase of frequencies as early as possible.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
