Budapest Airport Witnesses Highest Number of Passengers Since COVID-19 Outbreak, Authorities Say – SchengenVisaInfo.com – SchengenVisaInfo.com
A total of 997,454 passengers have passed through Liszt Ferenc International Airport, the Budapest Airport, in April, marking the highest record of passengers reports since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
According to the Hungarian official news site, air traffic recorded last month was 1400 per cent higher than in the corresponding time last year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Furthermore, passenger numbers over Easter were six per cent higher than over the rest of the month, while cargo volume at the airport peaked at 17,245 tonnes in April, up 3.3 per cent from a year ago.
However, while Hungary is showing positive rates regarding air traffic recovery, Portugal is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, which can affect the aviation and tourism rates significantly.
Previously, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) noted that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 had been reclassified as variants of concern after infection cases with this virus are increasing in Portugal. The authority urges EU citizens to get their booster shots in order to prevent infections.
As data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows, a total of 6,748 infection cases have been reported in the recent week, while the number of deaths has reached 46,343, with 77 being reported in the last week.
In addition, ECDC shows that 63.1 per cent is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while 39.4 per cent of the population has been administered a booster shot.
In addition, the number of Ukrainian nationals reaching Hungary has also increased over the Easter holiday, as 2,885 people entered the country from Ukraine and another 5,532 from Ukraine through Romania.
“Hungary helps by sending charitable aid, by accepting refugees, providing health care, transport, accommodation, and jobs as well as by organising their journey further… but our priority is the security of Hungarians and does not want Hungary to be dragged into this war,” the Chief Security Advisor said regarding the €7.9 million aid to Transcarpathia and western Ukraine.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data reveals that as of May 10, nearly six million Ukrainians have left their country, with the majority of them reaching Poland. More specifically, Poland has taken a total of 3,251,955 Ukrainian refugees, while 889,674 are living in Romania.
Moreover, a total of 772,121 refugees from Ukraine are currently in Russia, while Moldova and Hungary have sheltered 458,242 and 577,820 Ukrainians, respectively. Other neighbouring countries with the most Ukrainian refugees include Slovakia and Belarus, which have 406,833 and 27,108, respectively.
>> Timeline of Ukrainian Refugees Reaching EU Countries Amid Russian Invasion
