BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary will build a third terminal for Budapest Airport and develop its road and rail links to the capital, Economy Minister Marton Nagy said at a press meet on Tuesday, as the government aims to develop the airport into a major hub.
Hungary's state-owned Corvinus Zrt. and French co-investor Vinci Airports acquired Budapest Airport last month. Corvinus Zrt. is the majority owner with 80% stake, while its French partner holds the rest.
Nagy said that extra taxes on airlines will be phased out from the start of next year.
The government announced windfall taxes on airlines worth 30 billion forints ($82.28 million) in 2022 as it was looking for funds to plug holes in the budget.
It involves a tax worth 10 to 25 euros on passengers departing Hungary and was criticized by airlines.
Since nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power in 2010, his government has boosted Hungarian ownership in energy, banking, telecoms and the media, and has been planning to buy the airport for years.
The acquisition of the airport cost 3.1 billion euros ($3.35 billion) with an extension of 1.44 billion euros worth of previously issued loans.
Elsewhere in central Europe, the Polish government announced that it will go ahead with plans to build a huge air hub in the centre of the country, a project that drew criticism for its cost and scale, and for its location far from any major city.
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(Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori and Anita Komuves; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
