Overview
Founded in 1946, Malév Hungarian Airlines did not really take its present name back then. At the time, it was known as the Hungarian-Soviet Civil Air Transport Joint Stock Company. Its main hub can be found at the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, with Duna Club as its frequent flyer program. Forming an alliance with Oneworld, Malév Hungarian Airlines now operates a fleet size of more than 25, with roughly 50 destinations all over the world. Under the leadership of its parent company, Air Bridge Zrt., the airline’s headquarters is based at Budapest, Hungary.
Company Profile
Malév Hungarian Airlines is actually Hungary’s flag carrier airline. Being the principal Hungarian airline, it has the capability of flying to 50 cities in roughly 34 countries all over the world. Reading the name of the airline, the stressed ‘e’ is actually long in sound, while the first syllable is pronounced the way you would in Hungarian. Thus, the name of the airline would be pronounced this way: MAH layv.
Company History
The airline’s official founding date is actually March 29, 1946 – this was also the formation of the Hungarian-Soviet Civil Air Transport Joint Stock Company. At first, the fleet was comprised of just 12-seat Li-2 passenger aircrafts, which were Soviet-licensed DC-3 models, and 3-seat Po-2 taxis. These taxis were actually used for the purpose of precision airmail. What happened back then was that sacks of airmail would be dropped from the aircraft while it would be flying right over its destination. And in the 1950, the airline moved its operating base from Budaörs to Ferihegy. At the time, the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport just opened its doors for business, which was why the airline’s main operating base was quickly moved there. At present, this is still where you would find Malév Hungarian Airlines’ operating base.
It was in 1956 when Hungary was able to purchase all Soviet shares of Maszovlet and from there was the official birth of Malév Hungarian Airlines. Over the years, operations expanded gradually, starting with flights extending to merely nearby countries.
Malév Hungarian Airlines Fleet
The airline’s fleet is comprised of Boeing, Bombardier, and Fokker aircraft models. Boeing models include 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, and 767-200ER. The Bombardier Q400 and the Fokker 70 complete the airline’s fleet.
Malév Hungarian Airlines Destinations
The airline flies to a lot of destinations. These include:
- Southwest Asia: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria
- Central Europe: Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and Switzerland
- Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine
- Western Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
