An €18.5m taxiway and runway refurbishment project is underway at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary.

The work will include widening the load-bearing surfaces and the shoulders of taxiways B3-B5 on several sections, renewing rainwater drainage systems and the lighting network. The development will be carried out in two phases, the first of which is expected to last from August until the beginning of December, at a cost of €9m.

The expansion of the apron at BUD Cargo City will also begin. Once complete, this will enable the airport to handle up to four category F cargo aircraft at the same time, twice its present capacity. Budapest Airport opted to start the works simultaneously in a bid to complete both before summer season 2023.

Prior to undertaking the refurbishment, Budapest Airport’s environmental protection specialists worked with a team of biologists to relocate a colony of ground squirrels. Fifty-six of the protected animals were moved to another area within the airport fence, where they do not pose a safety risk and can live undisturbed.