Hungary Airlines takes flight: New national carrier obtains licences
Hungary Airlines, a newly established national airline, has launched operations following the issuance of its Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
Hungary Airlines, a newly established national airline, has officially launched operations following the issuance of its Air Operator Certificate (AOC). The airline, tasked with managing a state-owned Airbus A330-200F freighter, began test flights in December 2024 and completed additional practice flights in early January 2025.
The A330-200F, a 2014-vintage aircraft previously operated by Qatar Airways, was in service with low-cost carrier Wizz Air until late November 2024, Cargo Facts reported. The freighter recently conducted maintenance in Shanghai and is now preparing to resume cargo flights between Hungary and China, Világgazdaság wrote.
A strategic shift in air cargo operations
According to AIRportal.hu, Hungary Airlines was founded in 2021 as Universal Translink Airline Hungary (UTA) and later rebranded in April 2024. The company has been instrumental in air cargo operations between China and Hungary, with a base at Budapest Airport’s Cargo City. In addition to the A330 freighter, the airline uses leased aircraft to support its growing logistics network. The majority owner of Hungary Airlines is Wu Jiang, a Chinese businessman who resides in Hungary. Wu holds over 50% of the company’s shares. Other stakeholders include Beijing-based UTL Digital Logistics Co. Ltd. and the Hungarian state-owned Air Hungary Szolgáltató Plc., which became a minority shareholder in November 2024.
Leadership and future ambitions
Hungary Airlines is led by a team of experienced professionals, including Wu Jiang, co-founder Duan Bo, and Hungarian aviation experts Gábor Talabos and Gábor Varga. The addition of Borbély Tibor Péter, chairman of Air Hungary, to the management team, highlights the airline’s close ties to the government. In late 2024, Hungary Airlines made headlines when its president, Duan Bo, signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to acquire 737 MAX passenger aircraft. While details remain scarce, this move signals the company’s ambitions to expand beyond cargo operations.
Strengthening Hungary-China connectivity
As Hungary’s national carrier, Hungary Airlines aims to bolster trade and transportation links between Europe and Asia. With its strategic location and state-of-the-art fleet, the airline is poised to play a key role in strengthening Hungary’s position as a logistics hub in the region. With its inaugural flights now underway, Hungary Airlines marks a new chapter in the nation’s aviation history.
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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com
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