Budapest Airport continues bridging the gap in aviation connectivity between China and Hungary through its most recent airport agreements signed during the Hungarian-Chinese Forum last week. The agreement involves two Chinese airports (Xi’an Xianyang and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International) that further support Budapest Airport’s goal for providing primary logistics and distribution support for China in the Central and Eastern European regions.

Péter Szijjártó, minister of foreign affairs and trade, represented Hungary at the forum and commented on the agreement at the signing ceremony:

“Between two countries ­like these – with quite a distance between them geographically – strong economic cooperation is only possible if they are well-connected, which is why aviation connections, direct flights between Hungary and China, are of key importance. For this reason, we are delighted that a cooperation agreement between the airport of Xi’an and Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport is signed, as this agreement may link additional Chinese cities to the network where direct flights are available from Hungary, from Budapest. In addition to economic ties, our connections in tourism can also be developed further. Last year, a record number of 256 thousand Chinese tourists visited Hungary, representing a growth rate of 14 percent.”

Budapest Airport reported that it doubled its weekly capacity in cargo flights between Budapest, Hong Kong and Zhengzhou as a result of support from Hungarian diplomats and trade promotion experts. Additionally, the recent agreement further enhances opportunities to develop freight flows between Chinese locations and Budapest.

“The foundation stone was laid with the direct connection to Zhengzhou, and now it is time to further intensify our cooperation with our new Chinese partners, and thus exploit the enormous potential in the freight business in particular. Zhengzhou, Xi’an and Budapest share a great dynamic of growth, and we are very confident that we can mutually benefit from this cooperation,” said Jost Lammers, the CEO of Budapest Airport.