EBRD providing US$116m as part of US$1.5bn financing package for Budapest Airport

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is taking part in a financial restructuring of Budapest Airport in Hungary with a senior note of €100m (US$116m).

The loan is part of an overall financing package worth up to €1.32bn (US$1.5bn) – split between a privately placed senior note facility of €525m (US$611m) and a banking facility of €795m (US$925m) – to amend and extend existing debt facilities maturing at the end of 2019 and 2020.

Budapest Airport is ultimately owned by the international investors’ group AviAlliance, with 55.44%, but also Malton Investments with 23.33%, and CDPQ with 21.23%. The airport operator holds a 75-year concession to upgrade, operate and manage the airport, which registered 11.5 million passengers in 2016. Hungary’s efforts to boost the number of tourists visiting the country are expected to benefit the airport in the future.

Sue Barrett, director, transport, EBRD, said, “We are very pleased to join this effort and support this flagship project for Hungary. The package will encourage the introduction of new capital market structures for mature infrastructure projects, develop secondary market transactions for public-private partnership projects attracting leading institutional investors, and allow customers of Budapest Airport to benefit from an improved operating performance.”

Since the beginning of its operations in Hungary, the EBRD has invested more than €2.9bn (US$3.4bn) in some 175 projects in the country. Strengthening infrastructure development and local capital markets are among the bank’s priorities in accordance with its concept of transition qualities, which says that successful and sustainable economies must be competitive, resilient, green, well-governed, integrated and inclusive.