ABC launches twice-weekly Budapest cargo service

Russian all-cargo carrier AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) is launching a twice-weekly frequency on Tuesdays and Saturdays to Budapest on its 747-F aircraft, which will accommodate up to 139 tonnes of capacity per flight for traffic between Eastern and Central Europe.

“Its advantageous central location in Europe makes Budapest Airport a perfect location for carriers operating between Asia and Europe,” said the carrier’s general director, Sergey Lazarev, whom Air Cargo World spoke with earlier this month about ABC’s expansion plans. “On top of this, we foresee an upsurge of e-commerce traffic with swelling demand for internet purchases among European consumers.”

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) is an up-and-coming freight hub in Eastern Europe. In 2017, it handled a record 127,145 tonnes of cargo in 2017, up 13.4 percent from the previous year, and released plans to build a 20,000-square-foot airfreight center, “BUD Cargo City,” that is forecasted to be completed by 2019.

The airport serves as a hub for inter-European traffic as well as an entry-point of imports from Asia. Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport, said that ABC’s new frequencies will allow Hungarian companies that produce electronic, automotive and pharmaceutical goods to “reach out to their customers around the world through Moscow.”