The Hungarian Competition Authority (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal – GVH) has accepted the commitments of Budapest Airport Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér Üzemeltető Zrt. (Budapest Airport Zrt.) according to which it undertakes to reduce both drop-off fees and short-stay fees, and to change the rebates of its bonus card (Bónuszkártya). The reduced fees and rebates will be available till 31 December 2019, thereby ensuring the maintenance of the current efficient competition on the market of long-stay parking. The GVH did not establish an infringement and therefore did not impose a fine.

The GVH examined that the prices and conditions set and applied by Budapest Airport for drop-offs and short and long term stays at the airport were capable of eliminating undertakings providing parking and transfer services in the area of the airport from the relevant market.

On the basis of the commitments, the GVH obliged Budapest Airport to

· reduce the price charged for using the Terminal and Premium parking lots for the first five minutes after driving in for the third time in a day and for all subsequent visits on the same day: to HUF 300 (approximately EUR 1) for use of the Terminal parking lot and to HUF 400 for use of the Premium parking lot;

  • provide rebates for Bónuszkártya owners in the form of a 15% discount when using the Terminal parking lot and a 20% discount when using the Premium parking lot; in other words, the Terminal parking lot bonus card offers HUF 60,000 to spend in return for paying HUF 50,000 and the Premium parking lot bonus card offers HUF 28,750 to spend in return for paying HUF 25,000;
  • increase the maximum limit of Bónuszkártya to HUF 325,000;
  • make it possible for undertakings which offer parking services within a 15 km radius of bus parking spots on the arrival level of the airport to rent parking spots for a maximum 2 hours per occasion, with no limit on the amount of times a vehicle can drive in per day. If applying for all three parking cards, the monthly price per spot will be HUF 150,000 (+VAT) in case of the Premium parking lot, HUF 225,000 (+VAT) in case of Terminal parking lot and HUF 300,000 (+VAT) in case of using both parking lots.

These reduced fees and rebates will be unchanged and available till 31 December 2019.

After assessing the statement containing the commitments, the GVH established that the public interest could be efficiently protected via the acceptance of the the commitments because

  • the additional costs resulting from the increase of of prices on 10 December 2013 which are borne by undertakings providing long-stay parking services may decrease as a consequence of the commitments, thereby ensuring continued efficient competition;
  • establishing the alleged infringement would result in delays and further procedural costs that would be difficult to estimate;
  • the commitments comply with verifiability requirements.

During the assessment of a commitment application the main goal of the GVH is to ensure that the public interest is efficiently protected. Through the acceptance of commitments, undertakings are more efficiently able to align their conduct with the applicable competition law; furthermore, such decisions provide guidance for other market participants. When making its decision the GVH assesses the circumstances for and against accepting the commitments, taking into consideration the characteristics of the relevant market.

Case number: Vj/43/2014.

Budapest, 28 June 2016

Hungarian Competition Authority

Further information:
Andrea BASA
Spokesperson
Alkotmány u. 5., H-1054 Budapest,
Tel: +36 1 4728902
Mobile: +36 30 6186618
Email: basa.andrea@gvh.hu , press@gvh.hu
http://www.gvh.hu

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