It was announced in August 1968 that Malév would buy four jet-propelled Tu-134 passenger aircraft from the Soviet Union for around 280 million forints. The first Tu-134 arrived at Ferihegy in December 1968, thus defining the point at which Malév entered the jet age.
The new type was entered into service in the 1969 summer schedule. Although the aircraft had a more limited passenger capacity than the Il-18, the Tu-134's higher speed and more modern construction brought with it a qualitative change in Malév's service.
Simultaneously the Il-14 fleet was withdrawn from service, to be purchased by the Soviet Union. 1969 also marked another important event: Hungary was admitted as a member of the ICAO, the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization.
Modernization of the fleet continued apace: to enable the replacement of the Il-18 fleet, Malév purchased Tu-154 aircraft and entered them into service in the summer of 1974. The new type allowed Malév to gradually withdraw Il-18 aircraft from passenger traffic, and following conversion to reintroduce them for cargo flights. The cargo fleet primarily transported Hungarian agricultural produce to the Middle East.
While Malév started an intensive fleet modernization program, the development of airport services and facilities lagged somewhat. Malév just didn't have the necessary financial resources to maintain Ferihegy airport, and to supply and further develop the air traffic control systems. Thus from January 1, 1973, LRI (the Hungarian Airport Authority) was split off from the airline as an independent state organization.
LRI's tasks include the operation and development of the airport, and air control for the entire Hungarian air space. It soon became obvious that without modernization and expansion Ferihegy could never fulfill the demands that would be placed on it in the long term as Hungary's only international airport. Although several schemes were drafted in the 60s, only in 1976 could the comprehensive program for the development of Ferihegy be placed before the Hungarian government.
After a decision brought in 1977, in the first phase of the major state investment program the following were completed by the end of 1983: the new runway with connecting taxiing strips, air control tower, maintenance base and many additional establishments serving the operation of the airport. During this period radar equipment monitoring Hungary's entire air space was installed, as well as a new close-range control center.
Malév's new terminal, Ferihegy 2, was completed in the second phase and opened on November 1, 1985. Passengers passing through Ferihegy 2 received a more modern and professional service. Passenger traffic through Ferihegy doubled between 1968 and 1975, and in 1982 annual capacity surpassed the two million mark. Malév's new catering base at Ferihegy was completed at the same time.
After the opening of Ferihegy 2, a decision was taken to renovate the old runway. Upon completion of construction work, not only was flight safety improved, but by optimizing the planning of take-offs and landings and taxiing routes, noise levels around Ferihegy were significantly reduced.
Meanwhile Malév continuously expanded its land-based services. In 1975, a computerized reservations system was introduced, and in the following years flight departures, goods handling and ticketing were gradually automated.
In 1982, Malév became joint owner of one of Budapest's most elegant hotels, the Atrium Hyatt. Malév's board of directors and a central ticket office are established in the house. In the following year Malév introduced the business Comfort Class on all its flights, which since then has changed its name to Sky Club.
An important role in Malév's continued development has been played by the fact that in 1984 the Hungarian national airline became a full-right member of IATA (International Air Transport Association) as the 125th member company of the organization. At this time an annual over one million passengers regularly flew with Malév. Malév flights linked 40 cities in 30 countries with Ferihegy. At the same time the Hungarian international airport received the scheduled flights of 18 foreign airlines. In 1986, Hungary had aviation agreements with 48 countries, and Malév signed some 300 different contracts with its partners.
As part of the new commercial concept of the 1980s, Malév established domestic regional management centers, and new ticket offices were opened in Debrecen, Gyôr, Miskolc, Pécs and Szeged. Parallel with this, numerous new discounts were introduced. In 1983, several foreign airlines received independent commercial rights in Hungary, and thus Malév was forced to further improve its marketing activities on the domestic market.
In summary, it is possible to say that the 1980s represented a real "golden age" for Malév, a period when the airline achieved the most. Dollar revenues increased year on year, putting Malév among the top ten companies in Hungary. Profitability was further boosted by Malév's supplementary activities including cargo transports, ground handling for foreign airlines, catering and fuel services, the operation of duty free shops, and independent tourism activities.
Malév experienced new and fundamental changes at the end of the 1980s. In January 1989, the last cargo Il-18 transporter was withdrawn from service, and the first Tu-134 aircraft were also decommissioned. Although at this time Tu-154 aircraft represented the backbone of the Malév fleet, it was apparent that this type would also have to be replaced with more economic aircraft better suited to the environmental challenges of the day. The modernization of the fleet was once again placed on the agenda, and in the summer of 1989 Malév received the necessary governmental approval to rent a state-of-the-art, Western-made aircraft.