New Budapest Airport Terminal Foundation Laying Is Ahead of Schedule

Last fall, the government announced a comprehensive modernization of Liszt Ferenc International Airport, the first concrete step of which will be the construction of Terminal 3. Although the groundbreaking ceremony was originally planned for March 2026, the project will begin earlier than expected.

The investment project, with a volume of over 100 billion forints (264 million euros), is of national economic importance and includes extensive infrastructure measures at Budapest airport and in its surroundings. The project could see the construction of a new airport terminal, a rapid transit railway, and a modernized expressway, that could significantly change the airport’s operations.

Citing an announcement by Budapest Airport, Origo reports that

the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone for the new terminal building complex will take place on February 20, 2026.

This marks the start of the large-scale expansion and modernization of the airport and its infrastructure.

The announcement emphasized that the future of Hungarian air transport will be fundamentally determined by the development of airport infrastructure. One of the most significant investments in air transport infrastructure in Central Europe over the next decade can contribute to the modernization of Hungary’s economy and transport infrastructure, as well as to the high-quality servicing of growing tourist demand.

Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor

The following plans are envisaged for the future:

By the end of 2028, a new divided expressway with three lanes in each direction is to be completed by modernizing the existing route.
A new railway line is to be built by 2035.
At the same time, Terminal 3 is also to be completed by 2035.

In terms of implementation, the first step will be to improve transport links to the airport. At a cost of around 200 billion forints (529 million euros), the connection between the outer section of Üllői Street and the airport will be upgraded.

In line with the plan, the 12-kilometer expressway and the associated investments are to be completed by the end of 2028.

The final implementation plans have recently been completed, and approvals are expected to be granted in the first half of 2026, after which construction could take about two years.

According to earlier reports, the new terminal is to be completed in about eight years with a budget of around 400 billion forints (1 billion euros).

The aim is for the airport railway to be completed at the same time as Terminal 3 in 2035.

With an investment of around 400 billion forints, a 27-kilometer railway line designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h is planned between Kőbánya and Monor, from where the independent cities will be directly accessible via connection to the national railway network.

A 27-kilometer railway line will be built from Kőbánya to Monor, connecting Liszt Ferenc International Airport to the national rail network. Photo: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt

The rapid transit connection between Nyugati Square and the airport, that has been in the planning stages for many years, is scheduled to run every 5 to 10 minutes and, in line with an agreement with the capital, will also stop at Rákosrendező.

With all these measures, the airport’s complete infrastructure development could be realized within just under ten years, which could double the passenger volume of Liszt Ferenc International Airport to around 40 million passengers per year, as previously announced by the Ministry for National Economy. The increase in traffic could lead to a doubling of revenues, while at the same time increasing government revenues and raising tourism’s contribution to GDP from the current 15 percent to 18 percent.

According to a statement from Budapest Airport, Liszt Ferenc International Airport was named the best European airport in the 15-25 million passenger category in both 2022 and 2024 based on passenger ratings. In addition, it has been named the best airport in the region by Skytrax for twelve consecutive years based on passenger ratings, most recently in 2025.

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