Budapest Airport responds to flight delays and cancellations

Over the past few days, air passengers across Europe, including Budapest, have experienced a significant number of flight delays and cancelations. In this situation, it is particularly important for Budapest Airport to take good care of its passengers, and following an immediate decision by the management, the airport has designated dedicated waiting areas in Terminals 2A and 2B.

Here, eligible passengers can wait and rest in comfort, and the airport operator provides food and drinks if necessary, as well as baby food, diapers and wipes for travelers with young children. In addition, people in these zones have faster access to the latest information about their flight.

With flight delays and cancelations across the continent, passengers often wait for hours at airports. This trend can also be observed in Budapest, so Budapest Airport - in agreement with the position of the Ministry for National Economy – is doing its utmost, even beyond its own responsibilities, to support passengers at the highest possible level in this difficult situation, BA said.

As part of this, the airport operator has set up two support points, called BUD:carezone, in the transit area, which will be expanded by one additional unit if necessary. The airline, the ground handling company or the staff of Budapest Airport informs the passengers concerned via the public announcement system or in person if they can use the support points.

In the zones, Budapest Airport provides passengers waiting due to flight delays with information, sandwiches and water if needed, as well as diapers, baby food and wipes for travelers with small children.

Budapest Airport has already distributed 7,500 bottles of water to passengers waiting and it is constantly replenishing these stocks to ensure that the right amount of bottled water is always available.

In addition,

the company will provide more comfortable high-back chairs, recliners, phone chargers and unlimited Wi-Fi access throughout the airport.

By scanning the QR code that will be installed on site in the coming days, passengers will find useful information on delays and cancelations and can also get answers to frequently asked questions with phone contact details. A terminal map will also help them find the services they need, such as toilets, nursing rooms, terraces and restaurants.

The zones are located in Terminal 2B in front of boarding gates B1-B2 and in Terminal 2A on Pier 1 in front of boarding gate A17.

Budapest Airport advises passengers that if they have been informed by the airline or ground handling company of a flight delay or cancelation and are unable or unwilling to leave the airport, they should wait in these zones to ensure that they receive the latest information about their flight as soon as possible. At BUD:carezone, Budapest Airport’s on-duty terminal managers and terminal information staff are continuously assisting passengers.

In the current situation,

Budapest Airport advises passengers to make flexible bookings when planning their trip, to arrive at the airport in time (at least 2.5 hours before departure)

and to keep a close eye on information from airlines and the staff of the ground handling company at the airport. It is a good idea to pack in the hand baggage all the personal items, medical equipment and medicines (which can be passed through security screening) that the passenger may need or that are essential for a stay of up to several hours at the airport.

Delays could affect all flights of all airlines and this trend could continue until the end of the summer travel season, i.e. until 30 September,

Budapest Airport has warned.

Experience so far shows that early morning, morning and mid-morning services are more likely to run on schedule with no or minimal delays.

In general, the more rounds a flight makes, the more likely it is to accumulate delays by the end of the day.

However, the weather is always an unpredictable factor, so a major storm or thunderstorm can cause delays to morning flights as well.

Aviation as a process has at least four participants: the airport, the airlines, the ground handling companies and the air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe flight of passengers, and their competences are complemented by the role of the authorities.

Everyone has their own responsibilities in the process, based on regulations and contracts, so the competences of the airport operator and the ground handling companies working at the airport are also regulated.

Stakeholders can always act together in a cooperative way, so for example, for any information on a specific flight, the flow of information between all actors must be smooth in order to ensure that passengers receive accurate and timely information about their flight, BudAir concluded.

Cover photo: MTI Photo/Szilárd Koszticsák