Malev Hungarian Airlines takes part in national celebrations

Malev, Hungary’s flag carrier, continued a long-standing tradition of participating in the country’s main national holiday, August 20^th, which commemorates St. Stephen, the founder of the first formal Hungarian state. Crowds of spectators and aviation enthusiasts were treated to a show over the skies of Budapest’s city centre yesterday afternoon, as Malev dispatched a Boeing 737-600 aircraft to fly over the Danube at a height of only 150 metres. This relatively low altitude allowed for spectators to get a closer look at the traditional Malev livery that the plane had been painted in. Those with a sense of nostalgia for the original days of flight were likely impressed by the carrier’s decision to fly a historic Li-2 aircraft, also painted in Malev colours, over the Hungarian capital city. Malev posted photos on its website earlier today from the event, and  one of these images depicts the tiny Li-2 plane flying very close to the Saint Stephen’s Basilica, in Budapest’s city centre.

Although Malev-formerly a state-owned company-was privatized last spring by Hungary’s Socialist government, the carrier retains its status as the Hungarian national airline and is still the undisputed dominant carrier at Budapest Ferihegy Airport. The airline is owned by AirBridge Zrt, which has close ties to Russia’s AiRUnion.

www.malev.com