Rural Hungary

Hi, I have copied most of the posts relating to car hire to the care hire thread. It keeps everything in the one place and makes it easier for users to find the relevant information using the search option

Jenn, I spoke with a couple of people this week and they claim to have several Wizzair planes over the past month or so. Perhaps it is just pilot training Hope not.
Glad the weather held up for you, it was lovely but has now turned

Rural Hungary

Unfortunately, there is no recent news regarding flights to and from the UK. However, the end of last month saw flights commence from Russia as well as the formation of a new organisation TMSZ. One of the founding members is Tibor Polgár the Executive Director of Fly Balaton Airport. Lets hope this is a step in the right direction for tourism in Balaton

Les and Jenn

We havent heard anything either but I did write to Wizzair about a month or 6 weeks ago - to date no reply from that either...... We can still be hopeful for next year
We are due in Hungary again at the end of June - so I hope the weather is nice for us.

OGSG

Taken from xpatloop.com http://www.xpatloop.com/news/66940

Hungary Tries To Lure Back Ryanair

"Discount airline Ryanair is in talks with Budapest Airport and FlyBalaton, but it is unlikely that an agreement will be reached this year, Népszabadság writes. The airline pulled out of Hungary last year after talks with Budapest Airport on lowering fees failed. Spokesman Péter Elkán of Sármellék airport Fly Balaton, said talks are under way with Ryanair and with Russian carriers, who could return this year.

The marketing fund for air travel promotion could be used to lure Ryanair back to Hungary in 2012, said Magyar Turizmus director Gergely Horváth. Intensive talks with the company are ongoing, he added."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

Rural Hungary

This was first mentioned last year when it became clear Ryanair were playing hard ball.
Surely it would be a case of history repeating itself as CAA subsidised the landing fees at the cost of promotion,thus, bringing in few "tourists" - instead, mostly holiday home owners. Could they justify using the marketing fund for this?

John Gilbert

Seems we are getting a new "London" airport at Southend & Easyjet are to move some old & run new flights from there.

Ryanair talked of Stanstead's charges being a factor in closing flights - more competition on airport charges may help in due course.

OGSG

The links:
http://www.southendairport.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...uthend-airport

Only fair to include the anti-expansion link: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9090...ort_expansion/

Les and Jenn

WE CAN LIVE IN HOPE

Rural Hungary

Hmm, I think hope is slowly dying for me....
If free/subsidised airport fees are being offered, I personally,would prefer Wizzair or Easyjet. Obviously, no matter which airline is involved there is no guarantee that a repeat fiasco, similar to that of CAA/Ryanair, will not happen. However, I feel there is more likelihood of longevity with Wizzair or Easyjet.
How long will Balaton Tourism, Magyar Tourism or SCD be willing to subsidise Ryanair before realising (as before) that the majority of passengers flying to Sarmellek are not tourists staying in local hotels/resorts but holiday home owners? With a huge chunk of the marketing budget being spent on enticing Ryanair back to the airport, limited funds will be available for actually promoting Balaton as a tourist destination. In the future, the slightest suggestion that fees need to be introduced will see Ryanair hotfoot it as they did in 2009.
Realise it's a catch 22, no airline - no tourists, no marketing - no tourists.

If free landing fees is the only way to lure a budget airline, it shouldn't be at the cost of promotion. Considering there were 120,000 passengers in 2008, wouldn't it be possible to introduce a marketing charge (or similar) per passenger? There is a demand for this airport so surely no one would object to paying a charge of say £3-5, so long as the spending was transparent, if it enabled the airport to remain viable.

As it is, a growing number of foreigners are buying or considering buying closer to the Croatian and Slovenian borders - property is less expensive, there are numerous leisure lakes and spas plus Zagreb and Graz airports are 70-90 miles away.

Les and Jenn

Tend to agree with you Rural - Ryanair are so fickle that they will move airports at a moments notice and do not give a flying fig about their passengers..... take on board also what you are saying about it being mainly home owners - seems true to me. There are so little tourists from England going to Hungary (apart from Budapest).
I wrote to Wizzair about a month/6 weeks ago and have not had a response at all.
Still think that if either Easyjet or Wizzair could be pursuaded to do at least a couple of flights a week to Flybalaton that could be a way forward.
Anyway hope you are making sure the weather is good there as we are out week after next .......and the british summer leaves alot to be desired at the moment!! (flying to Budapest of course....)

derbycold

i,ve not been accross for two years now,keep waiting in vien for the flights to start, surley even if the fares cost a bit more than they were people would pay it,i would.

Rural Hungary

Hungarian state tourism agency Magyar Turizmus has started talks with the operators of the country's two largest airports in a bid to bring new flights to Hungary, business daily Világgazdaság said on Wednesday.

Magyar Turizmus entered into talks with Liszt Ferenc International Airport operator Budapest Airport as well as FlyBalaton, which operates a smaller airport in west Hungary, after the Routes Europe flight development conference in May.

The talks will wind up at the 2011 World Routes conference in Berlin on October 2-3. Afterward, an announcement on new flights to be launched in 2012 is expected.

Source MIT

Anyone else think "Yawn - same old, same old....?"

OGSG

Maybe they are at last waking up to this "hidden" gem as bringing in necessary money for the country?

Les and Jenn

Lets hope so I truly believe that this is an ideal route at least 3 times a week for Wizzair and I cant understand why they wont do this............

Rural Hungary

Hope.... there is just about a smidgen left for me....

Were you over about a week or two ago? I thought I might have seen you in your village, well we saw two English looking people