Budapest Airport collaborates with online travel-tech company

In a bid to improve smooth and efficient travel for transferring passengers, Budapest Airport (BUD) has partnered with Kiwi.com, an online travel-tech company, to develop bud:connects.

The new initiative has been created to transform transfer traffic through Hungary’s capital city gateway, Budapest Airport. 

In 2019, almost 110,000 passengers self-connected at the airport – a number that is predicted to double in the next three years. As a result, Budapest Airport worked to develop bud:connects in order to provide a hassle-free and seamless experience for all customers flying with two or more unconnected airlines.

Chief Commercial Officer at Budapest Airport, Kam Jandu, said: “Our desire is to do everything we can to ensure each and every one of our self-connect passengers has the smoothest journey through our airport. Partnering with Kiwi.com is a key element which has seen us create an innovative service in the region. With competitive journey times we are already seeing an improved passenger journey – results which will help secure future bookings. As this method of travel becomes more popular, we’d encourage other airports to invest in the self-transfer market.” 

As the aviation industry sees passengers moving away from traditional booking practices and creating their own itineraries and transfers, the partnership between Budapest Airport and Kiwi.com ensures that the airport is at the forefront of the growing trend of independent travel.

Bud:connects offers the ‘SmartPass’ service, which includes the use of priority security lanes for all passengers self-connecting with less than three hours connecting time and checked luggage.

Zdenek Komenda, Chief Business Development Officer at Kiwi.com, said: “We are proud to cooperate with Budapest Airport and its bud:connects transfer product. Bringing together Kiwi.com virtual interlining technology and state-of-the-art onsite transfer assistance provided by the bud:connects staff not only enhances passenger experience for our Kiwi.com customers, but also improves connectivity through Budapest airport overall.”