A Hungarian-owned company will manage operations at FlyBalaton airport in Sármellék from April, after an agreement to that effect was reached with Vectigalis, the company liquidating the former operator, Ireland-based Cape Clear Aviation, Napi Gazdaság was informed.
The airport was shut down in October, as Cape Clear went bankrupt, having accumulated Ft 600-700 million of debt, Vectigalis chairman-CEO Jen Varga said, adding that since then UK and Russian investors had expressed their intentions to take control of the airport.
More than 15,000 travellers passed through Sármellék in 2009 before it closed in October.
The deal came in the last minute, head of tourist board Magyar Turizmus Ákos Niklai said, as travel agencies draw up their summer-fall offers around this time of the year.
The reopening of the airport could be crucial to the success of Hungary’s first MotoGP race scheduled to be held in Sávoly in September.
Well I hope they’ll do it – count me us in as customers if they have good cheap flights to London – and the British part of my family too …
The next part of the jigsaw is: if they get the airport at Sármellék up-and-running again which budget airlines are going to fly in and out of there?
The UK and Germany are traditionally the main destinations that will offer the most potential as far as passengers are concerned.
Ryanair flew from Flybalaton to London/Stansted.
As we all know – Stansted is some distance from London.
I suggest Wizzair be given a try but, they should
fly out of Gatwick and Liverpool in the UK. to Flybalaton.
Lake Balaton, believe me, with some investment,
the right marketing and advertising can be made a great success.
@Wings: Wizzair to Gatwick would be fantastic – one of my sisters lives near Hayward Heath.
So we’ll wait with our fingers crossed (is that the right expression for hope ?)
Best news ive heard all year. I was at the airport on the 5th picking up a hire and and its amazing how overgrown and rundown it has become in such a short time.I have many family and friends who will use this airport as its only 15mins from me. The return drive to Budapest is no fun in winter or summer and neither is the car hire costs or petrol prices. Manchester or East Midlands would be great for us as we all live in Yorkshire and its a long drive down to the London airports.
Joyce and Wolfi. Flybalaton/Sarmellek is important.
Thousands of potential UK customers already exist.
Budapest/Ferihegy is too far from Lake Balaton and there are logistic problems. That is if you don’t chose, or want to, hire a car.
Great news that there is some interest being generated and I think we should all do our best to
ensure the project gets off the ground (oooh!!)-
literally.
Lets have a fortnightly update?
I really hope they find some UK destinations, I think they are necessary for Fly Balaton’s survival.
The German market is just not big enough – tourists from southern Germany find it easier and cheaper to use their cars.
For those who don’t want to drive, a bus is ok, it doesn’t take too long to Munich or Stuttgart.
Last year’s experience with just three Lufthansa flights a week to Northern Germany shows this.
Can we do any thing except hoping ?
A lot can be done, Wolfi. I have to finsih now. More on this later.
Best regards to you.
Hurrah! But — if the only FlyBalaton connection to the London
metropolis is via RyanAir, I’ll keep on keeping on through Gatwick /
Becs – Wien – Vienna / Gatwick. Oh, how I loathe RyanAir.
@Koermendi:
Welcome to the club!
If Ryan Air Haters were a party we could rule most countries …
This is good news to all, I have a RealEastate company http://www.alegria2006.com and Indian resturant http://www.taseofindia.hu in Zalakros, all our client used this airport all the time, This Re-opening will be a breath of fresh air for us, I hope Luton Airport will be considered as this is near london and east to get to.
What/Which Hungarian-owned company will take charge of operations in the Spring at FlyBalaton?
And, has anyone informed the prospective airlines
that will hopefully fly in-and-out of there that
plans have been put in place to re-open?
Need a lot more information and help from other sources. Perhaps we can all help by providing each other with links and where we can find other info sources etc. etc?
Do people think it is likely that flights to balaton from england will start up again, really hope they do
@Annie. Everyone hopes the flights will start from the UK again to Lake Balaton.
Keep yourself updated by regularly tuning in to,
realdeal.hu.
What about us up in Durham. The cost and time of getting to the south is ridiculous so we have to travel to Manchester or East Midlands, pay to park the car, then either stay over in Budapest or hire a car at that end, then a two and a half drive to the Lake. Our house out there is just 15 miles from the Airport. Oh what joy if they flew out of Newcastle but don’t expect that for one moment. Dream on. Anyway, glad to hear the great news and if its Manchester then that’s a bit nearer than Stansted or London!
Any news on the airlines that will be using this airport
@Anne:
Nothing concrete yet, we asked the Hungarian representative at the tourist fair CMT in Stuttgart, but they didn’t know anything …
We just have to hope – wait and see.
If/when anything new comes around, you’ll find it here.
The first airline has announced regular weekly flights from Switzerland to Balaton.
The airline is called Danube Wings based in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The first flight is Thursday April 1, followed by flights every Thursday through October.
EuropaAirport..Basel-Mulhouse-Freighbourg is the destination, and one way flights are 98 Euros including all the taxes and costs, and booking is already open on the DanubeWings website.
Now lets hope other airlines notice this!!
Thanks, Peter!
More info here (in German):
http://www.fly-euroairport.com/de/news/20091218-danubewings-basel-balaton-heviz.html
Danube Wing’s English homepage:
http://www.danubewings.com/lris-presentation/home
Now let’s hope this is no April’s fool story …
Feasability study. This is what is required.
If the things a “goer” or not. The Swiss seem to think so – can’t be bad. Good endorsement for other prospective users?
The airlines won’t come by themselves though irrespective of how high they are on our wish list.
I suppose it is down to the airport administrators and the next government to entice
wizzair, easyjet etc.
Good news anyway that the airport will re-open, and that Danubewings will be the first airline will operate out of FlyBalaton this year.
Actually Basel-Mühlhausen airport is strategically located in the “3-country-corner” so it is even intereting for people from Zürich, Strassburg and southwestern Germany (Black Forest) – for us it is however easier to take the car to the Balaton, but for our guests …
Good news from FlyBalaton.
Travel Agency Mutsch will organise flights from Germany with Lufthansa again this summer.
http://www.urlaubperfekt.net/index.cfm?ID=187771
As in the last years there will be flights on saturday from Düsseldorf, Frankfort and Hamburg on saturdays, starting on April 10.
Anywhere in the North west would be good for me .I used Stanstead to Balaton, but another airport would be great
Brilliant news, I hope we have flights to Luton or Stansted……… I wait with baited breath to book my ticket!!!
Iwould love flights from Cardiff or Bristol to go to sarmallek
@JBlack. We would all love caviar with our chips.
Contact the Hungarian consulate in London and ask them about the latest on FlyBalaton in Sarmallék.
They will probably say: never heard of the place-
have you been drinking?
Has anyone heard anything definite about flights resuming between Balaton and anywhere in England
Sorry, anne, we’re all waiting. There’s a rumour now about flights from Russia (my neighbour said “Leningrad”, he’s old school) and Ukraine, but nothing yet on Britain …
Hey! Any idea when can we get some more specific info about
Ryanair flying to Balaton again in 2010? It’s a nice little airport and
it would be so great if we cold fly there again from the UK
Ryanair announced that they will commence flights in
mid-Summer
Barney, what is the source of this information? Is this genuine?
@barney..if you can let us know where you heard that RyanAir would return to Balaton!! Believe me I look at the RyanAir website every morning and nothing has been mentioned about anything like that.
The only news concerning balaton airport is yesterday they announced a drag racing event for cars..thank god the runway is being at least used for something!!!whats next arts and craft day!!!
The news came around the start of March. Just google
it.
There are “speculations” about flights from London, Kopenhagen and Moscow – that’s all right now …
Any airline must be tied-in to a minimum five-year contract if they wish to use FlyBalaton.
Too many people and businesses depend on this airport for their livelihood.
The Hungarian government should have played a greater role in maintaining the survival of this marvelous little airport at Sarmellék.
Local councils have helped but it is too much of a burden for them to handle this matter alone.
All the skulking wolves in the background that watched the debacle unfold in recent years because of the poor admin and corruption issues should stand forward, put their hands in their pockets, and help out.This includes tourist offices, government departments, local councillors,politicians, business developers, and so on.
5-year contract? What is this, socialist-style 5
year plans? No airline in the real world can
commit to 5 year contracts.
@war ponce.
Continuity you communist coconut. Five years is a fleeting glance in terms of business of such importance. Otherwise we have maverick airlines playing cat-and-mouse games and fucking up everyone’s chance of a quiet and tranquil retirement at Lake Balaton.
Socialist Europe is a disease or a forest fire that needs to be stamped out. Now get back to your comic books and popcorn. Mum will bring you hot milk at bedtime…
Any news on flights to balaton from the UK
@Anne:
just a few days ago I commented here on a report that the airport won’t be closed this winter and the German language Balatonzeitung speculates on Ryanair returning next spring – but this is all speculation.
It was reported, that Flybalaton expects/hopes for about 100 000 passengers next year – that would only possible with UK flights.
PS: I can’t find that news – I’m sure it was last week, don’t understand it …
“Ryanair, Germanwings und Aeroflot” might have flights to Flybalaton next year …
Does anybody know details on this “news” in several Austrian and German papers ?
So does anyone have an update on this at all? I am
going to be coming from London to Hungary soon and
wondered about any issues that might have arisen
recently. I’ll be parking my car at Stanstead
airport (see below) but I am doing a short work
program exchange with a Hungarian co-worker and
wondered if there’s a similar system over there to
the one below?
http://www.cheapstanstedparking.co.uk/best-price-
guarantee/
Thanks
H