Malév to suspend trans-Atlantic flights during off-season

Recently-privatized Hungarian flag carrier Malév Zrt will likely cancel its service between Budapest and North America this winter, an executive of the company told newswire MTI. The flights to New York and Toronto had become a favorite of regular travelers between Hungary and North America.

The suspension of the flights is reportedly due to a larger program of restructuring and cost-cutting at the airline, which was sold by the Hungarian state in February to a Russian-backed investment company after several unsuccessful attempts at being privatized. The new owner, AirBridge, is said to be seeking to put the loss-making Malév into profitability within only two years.

The report comes just days after an announcement that the airline would increase the number of regularly-scheduled flights to Bangkok, Madrid and Venice.

According to reports, the airline may lease out underutilized long-haul aircraft over the winter.

In case the North American flights are canceled, passengers who have purchased tickets for New York and Toronto will be flown to their destinations by other carriers, including American Airlines, which like Malév is a member of the oneworld alliance.

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