Hungarian airport opens up for international traffic

Published: 7/28/1999

Hungary's Balaton Airport at Sármellék, the western end of Lake Balaton, will become a permanent border crossing point this month, said Péter Kraft, Deputy State Secretary of the Economy Ministry. The airport, which served military flights before 1989, has been open to charter flights for six years, but to a restricted degree. Until now, the airport has had to receive notification of flight arrivals 72-hours in advance. The ministry plans to operate the airport 24-hours a day, and eliminate the need for flights to be registered three days prior to their arrival. Until the airport becomes fully operational it will be unable to receive planes after dusk. Until then, customs will be operational only during daytime hours. Charter flights arriving at Balaton airport have primarily come from Switzerland and Russia. In the past two years flights have also arrived from Turkey and Denmark.István Zóka, managing director of Balaton airport, the airport is expected to be particularly busy in summer months during the tourist season. The ministry hopes Sármellék's airport will become a regional centre for tourists visiting the neighbouring town of Keszthely and the thermal spas of Hévíz and Zalakaros. The 24-hour customs and border guard service will represent the first step toward Sármellék's role as a regional hub. Last year Zalavár-Sármellék Airport Kft reported a modest profit of Forints 1 m ($4,000), although slightly less than last year.

Article ID: 710