A Final Agreement Approaches as Budapest Airport Reacquisition Nears Completion

Passengers walk in the arriving hall at the Liszt Ferenc Airport of Budapest, Hungary on 23 March 2020.
Gergely Besenyei/AFP
Back in May, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mentioned at the Qatari Economic Forum that there is interest from Qatar towards Budapest Airport, and ‘we would welcome them.’ Now, it appears that the Qatar Investment Authority is joining the deal as a financial or strategic investor, and the possibility of a third terminal is also being considered.

Currently, negotiations regarding the reacquisition of the majority ownership of the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport have reached a stage ‘where the parties are very close to a final agreement,’ as communicated by the Ministry of Economic Development led by Márton Nagy in response to Atv. hu’s inquiry.

‘The negotiations for the reacquisition are progressing systematically, in the spirit of collaboration, and are proceeding well between the partners. At present, they are in a phase where the parties are very close to a final agreement. Contract signing could take place in the spring of 2024,’ the ministry informed in response to a question.

‘The airport is an outstanding strategic asset that was squandered by the Gyurcsány government. The transaction is of great economic historical significance as it represents the largest and most complex deal since the regime change,’ the ministry’s press department stated in response to the inquiries. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented on the purchase of Budapest Airport during an international press conference on 21 December, saying:

‘I consider this a concluded matter despite it being talked about it as if it were still open. This is a concluded matter; only the technical details need to be finalized.’

The Hungarian state made a purchase offer in the summer for the majority ownership (51 per cent) of Budapest Airport, with the reported purchase price being between €2–3 billion. In May, PM Orbán mentioned at the Qatari Economic Forum that there is interest from Qatar towards the Budapest Airport, and ‘we would welcome them.’ Now, it appears that

the Qatar Investment Authority is joining the deal as a financial or strategic investor,

and the possibility of constructing a third terminal is also being considered.

As of now, 55.44 per cent of Budapest Airport Zrt.’s shares are owned by AviAlliance, a German-based company that manages several airports. Another 23.33 per cent belongs to Malton, a subsidiary of the Singaporean state-owned GIC investment fund, and 21.23 per cent is in the hands of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a Canadian pension fund. AviAlliance is headquartered in Düsseldorf and is owned by the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments).


Read more:

Government Makes Bid for Majority Ownership of Budapest Airport

Source: Hungarian Conservative/ATV

Back in May, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mentioned at the Qatari Economic Forum that there is interest from Qatar towards Budapest Airport, and ‘we would welcome them.’ Now, it appears that the Qatar Investment Authority is joining the deal as a financial or strategic investor, and the possibility of a third terminal is also being considered.

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