Posted on: February 7, 2012
European airlines capitalize on Malev’s collapse
By Jerry Limone
Following the collapse of Malev, Hungary’s state-owned airline, several carriers have stepped into the void in Budapest.
Ryanair plans to establish a base of operations in Budapest on Feb. 17. Over the course of the winter and spring, Ryanair will launch service to 31 European cities, including London Stansted, Madrid, Munich, Rome Ciampino and Dublin.
In March, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air will increase service to several cities, including London Luton and Barcelona. Wizz Air will operate 129 flights per week, up from 67.
Czech low-cost airline SmartWings plans to launch service this spring to Paris, Barcelona, Athens and Cyprus.
Aegean Airlines will begin Athens-Budapest service on March 9. Finnish carrier Blue1 will begin seasonal service from Helsinki on June 2.
On Monday, Air Berlin and Lufthansa each began daily service from Berlin. Lufthansa also began serving Budapest from Hamburg.
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