How Many Terminals Does Budapest Airport Have?
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) is Hungary’s largest and main aviation hub, serving full-service and low-cost airlines. Historically it had two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, but today all scheduled flights use Terminal 2.
After the 2012 collapse of MALÉV Hungarian Airlines, Terminal 1 was closed as part of cost-cutting and has not handled scheduled passenger flights since. Terminal 2 is effectively split into two connected sections — Terminal 2A and Terminal 2B — joined by the SkyCourt, a five-storey central building with the airport’s main shops, restaurants and lounges. Which section you use depends on your destination, not your airline: Schengen flights go through 2A, non-Schengen flights through 2B.
Not sure which terminal your flight uses? Check which terminal each airline uses at Budapest Airport before you travel.
Terminal 2A — Schengen Flights
Terminal 2A was the original Terminal 2 before the airport expanded. Today it handles all arrivals and departures within the Schengen Area (most EU countries), using gates in the A range (roughly A1–A33). Because both origin and destination are inside Schengen, there is no passport control on these routes.
Passengers in Terminal 2A have access to all essential services, including check-in desks, luggage wrapping, currency exchange, postal services and tourist information.
Terminal 2B — Non-Schengen Flights
Terminal 2B opened in 1998 and now handles all non-Schengen arrivals and departures — for example flights to and from the UK, the US, the Middle East and Asia — using gates in the B range. Passengers on these routes clear Hungarian passport control in addition to security.
The terminal’s capacity was significantly enhanced in 2017 with the addition of Pier B, a 220-metre pier with 27 boarding gates and multiple jet bridges. Terminal 2B also offers baggage wrapping, car rental offices and currency exchange.
SkyCourt — the Airport’s Shopping & Dining Hub
SkyCourt is the central building that connects Terminals 2A and 2B, and it is the commercial and social heart of Budapest Airport. Spread across five levels, it hosts the majority of the airport’s restaurants, cafés, bars, fast-food outlets and retail stores.
All of the airport’s lounges are located here too. Among them, the Mastercard Lounge deserves special mention, as it was the first lounge Mastercard opened in Europe.
Hungry between flights? See our guide to where to eat at Budapest Airport — restaurants, cafés and the SkyCourt Food Market. You can also compare the airport lounges at BUD.
Getting Between Terminal 2A and 2B
T2A and T2B are physically connected through the SkyCourt, so transferring between them is straightforward. Once you are airside (past security), you simply walk through the SkyCourt from one section to the other in just a few minutes — there is no need to exit and clear security again. This makes connections at BUD quick, though non-Schengen passengers should allow time for passport control.
Planning your journey? See our guides to arrivals and departures at Budapest Airport, or how to reach the terminal with a Budapest Airport transfer. Need to store bags on a long layover? Check luggage storage and lockers.
Terminal 1 and Future Expansion
Terminal 1 remains closed to scheduled flights and now operates as the Terminal 1 Airport Event Center, hosting gala dinners, conferences and corporate events in the historic building. It reopens as a working terminal only for exceptional occasions — for example, temporarily around the UEFA Champions League final at the end of May 2026, when some Wizz Air London flights are handled there.
Looking further ahead, Budapest Airport — together with VINCI Airports — has launched a €1 billion expansion. It includes a new 35,000 m² main terminal with centralised check-in, upgraded security and integrated commercial zones, expected to welcome its first passengers around 2035. In the meantime, Terminal 2 is being upgraded, with a reconfigured check-in hall, enhanced security lanes and a further expansion of Pier B to increase non-Schengen capacity.