Heviz muni council backs sale of airport operator to state

The municipal council of Heviz, in south-western Hungary, backs a decision by the government to acquire a 90 percent stake in the operator of the nearby Heviz-Balaton Airport, mayor Gabor Papp told MTI on Monday. The sole owner of Heviz-Balaton Airport Kft until now, the local council has found it "difficult" to cover the some 50 million forints (EUR 144,100) in annual operating costs of the airport alone, Papp said. The local council has made preparations for 6.6 billion forints in state-funded developments at the airport, and it expects a Norwegian-owned flight academy to start operating there in the autumn, he said.