Thanks to the cooperation between Budapest Airport and the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport, the most exciting artifacts from the history of civil aviation will form part of the museum’s collection going forward. At the end of last year, the airport operator decided to donate rare airport equipment, instruments and works of art to the museum.
The airport’s first telephone exchange, a fire suit from the 70’s and the well-known, old split-flap boards – amongst others, these are the unique and valuable airport relics that will soon transfer into the ownership and the professional supervision of the transport museum. In addition, Budapest Airport has donated various measuring instruments, radio equipment previously used in the control tower, a decommissioned fire truck and other rare objects to the museum. As the antecedent to the current donation, last year the airport handed over to the museum a twenty-year-old Malév advertising board, uncovered during public road works.
Pursuant to the agreement, Budapest Airport will also hand over decorative items previously used to adorn exclusive airport lounges, including tapestry, furniture and works of art from the former government lounge, and even the remaining pieces of the well-known birds installation that used to hang from the ceiling at Terminal 2.
“As Hungary’s capital city airport, we have some rare aviation relics, for which the collection of the Museum of Transport will be a worthy home,” commented Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, the CEO of Budapest Airport Zrt. “We are delighted and proud to contribute to documenting the history of transportation in Hungary and to preserving a few pieces of aviation history for posterity,” he added.
“These valuable objects will be in the best hands. As one of the oldest transport museums in the world, the Museum of Transport keeps aviation relics that are more than a hundred years old, in some cases,” highlighted Dávid Vitézy, the director-general of the Museum of Transport, in his thank you. “The artifacts now offered by Budapest Airport will thus form part of an invaluable collection showcasing the history of aviation. As a result, we will be able to preserve, process and present to future generations relics from the world of aviation and airport operation in the most comprehensive manner possible,” he added.