Budapest, 31 May 2019. Hungary and China continue to develop their economic cooperation in the field of air cargo, within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. This was the main topic on the agenda of the Chinese-Hungarian seminar held in the Hungarian capital with the participation of the Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment Co. Ltd., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and Budapest Airport.
China’s fifth largest province is ready to strengthen air cargo connections between China and Budapest; direct links were laid down in April 2019, when the first flight between Zhengzhou and Budapest was launched by Cargolux. Since then, a cargo flight operated twice a week with a 100-ton capacity Boeing 747 connects the capital of Henan province, Zhengzhou, and Hungary. The framework for future development, cooperation and exchange of information was laid down in an agreement signed by Budapest Airport and the Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment Co. in the presence of the state secretary from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
About 140 delegates and experts from both countries participated at the economic forum in Budapest. The Chinese delegation was headed by Yu Hongqiu, deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Committee of Henan Province. The central plains province of Henan lies just south of the Yellow River, and, with a population of over 100 million, it is fifth among the Chinese provinces in terms of economic output. The agreement signed now in Budapest could now provide fresh impetus for the development of aviation connections.
“Sino-Hungarian relations were never as positive as right now. Direct investment by Chinese firms has reached 4.5 billion USD, and these enterprises create 15 000 jobs for Hungarians,” said Tamás Menczer, state secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at the forum. He also recalled that this year, China and Hungary celebrate the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
“Budapest Airport offers the ideal location for transporting goods between Europe and Asia, along the Aviation Silk Road. The cooperation agreement signed with the HNCA is the next big step in intensifying cooperation with our Chinese partners and making Budapest Airport the leading cargo hub in Central Eastern Europe,” commented Jost Lammers, the CEO of Budapest Airport, after the signing ceremony. He also reiterated that Budapest Airport has invested 46 million EUR (approximately 15 billion HUF) into the construction of the new BUD Cargo City, with 21,000 square meters of warehouse and office space, an 11,000-square-meter forwarder building and a 32,000-square-meter cargo apron that allows the simultaneous handling of two Boeing B747-8F cargo aircraft.
