Sofia Airport
Encyclopedia
Sofia Airport sometimes also called Letishte Sofia-Vrazhdebna , is the main airport in Sofia
, Bulgaria
. Located 5 km (3.1 mi) east of central Sofia. In 2010 the number of passengers was 3.3 million. Sofia airport also includes Vrazhdebna Air Base
of the Bulgarian Air Force
.
During the Second World War, the facilities were used by the military. Mail, perishable freight and passenger operations began in 1947 from buildings on the north side of the airport. The passenger terminal (now Terminal 1) on the south side of the airport was completed during the Second World War in the manner of a then-modern European railway terminus to designs by the architect Ivan Marangozov. It opened after several years of delay in 1947. The structure comprised a government wing to the west, an international handling area in the middle, and a domestic handling area to the east. At that time, it was planned that the airport would eventually have two intersecting runways orientated at a 30-degree angle to each other.
The terminal had substantially reached its capacity of some 600,000 passengers a year by the later 1960s and was subjected to a number of refurbishments and extensions beginning in the spring of 1968. In 1975, a new international arrivals handling extension was opened to the west of the building, the domestic area to the east was enlarged, the government handling area was removed to a dedicated terminal some distance to the west, a VIP handling area opened in the old terminal, , apron area was extended to the east and new taxiways opened. A bonded warehouse
opened to the east of the terminal square in 1969 and several new hangars followed to the east of the first maintenance base in the 1970s. A new checked baggage handling system opened to the north of the building in the early 1980s, cosmetic and traffic reorganising refurbishments were carried out in 1990, with a substantial landside extension following in 2000.
By the late 1970s, the terminal was handling in the region of three million passengers a year, a million of them on domestic routes. Passenger numbers fell off sharply after the 1979 CMEA ("Comecon") oil price shock and recovered to just over a million a year by the late 1980s. In the early and mid-1990s, domestic traffic practically ceased, while foreign traffic reduced significantly. The latter began growing apace in the late 1990s and early 2000s to reach its current levels. The terminal was last refurbished partially in 1990. In 2000 it underwent a wholesale update in which the international arrivals area was moved to the east wing where domestic handling had been, the former international arrivals area to the west was closed, and the layout of the central international departures area was changed in line with world developments. Despite the works to the old terminal, the airport was becoming overwhelmed with passenger traffic.
Options for different airport developments began to be examined in the mid-1960s. One option was to relocate the facility to a new site, with some locations up to 70 km (43.5 mi) from Sofia). Another option involved extending the airport's area radically to the north-east and gradually removing the focus of the airport there. A third option was to develop substantially the same site. By the later 1980s the authorities had settled on the last option. Project design, involving a new terminal to the east of the old facility, a new runway to the north of (and parallel to) the existing runway, and taxiways, was completed by the mid-1990s. A finance package involving very significant European and Kuwaiti investment was initially agreed in 1998 and was in place by 2000. Works began in 2001. The new runway and some taxiways were completed in mid-2006. Terminal 2 was formally inaugurated on 27 December 2006.
Design and construction of a new control tower was mooted in 2006 but this project appeared to be in abeyance by 2008. Over the years, Sofia Airport has been criticised for its lack of world class air freight facilities and for some access problems. Passengers to and from the Bulgarian interior have to access or egress the airport through crowded rail and coach facilities in central Sofia. A rail link has been mooted on several occasions since the 1960s but no moves have been documented to its implementation. The airport is occasionally criticised as a source of environmental noise and pollution and strict noise abatement procedures have been enforced for departing traffic since the mid-1970s, while arriving traffic is generally routed to approach the field from the east, clear of Sofia.
A significant and recurring operational criticism of Sofia Airport has concerned its historical lack of all-weather operations capability. Though the new runway was designed for ICAO Category 3 operations, in 2007 it emerged that radio interference from security fencing, and most significantly from a large newly-built lorry park, prevented certification (and hence use) of the associated radio navigational aids. During the winter months, the airport, located on a high alluvial plain surrounded by mountains, suffers from very significant and frequent fog precipitation. In such circumstances, flights are redirected to diversion airports in Bulgaria or neighbouring countries, lengthening journeys by many hours.
was built to the east of the old terminal, and a second runway
was constructed alongside the existing one. The old runway has been turned into a taxiway parallel to the newly constructed runway. Both cross the Iskar
river. The new runway was opened in August 2006, while the new terminal opened in December 2006.
Total cost of the project was planned at 200 million euro
s. Finance was secured in 1997-98 from the European Investment Bank
(60 million euro), Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
(12.3 million Kuwaiti dinar
s, approx. 41.5 million euro), and the European Union
PHARE
Programme (7.6 million euro). In August 2000 an ISPA
grant of 50 million euro was allocated and in December the Financing Memorandum was signed.
The construction works were in two lots: the new terminal with its surrounding infrastructure, and the new runway. The first lot was allocated to the German branch of Austrian company Strabag
, while the second lot was won by a consortium of Kuwaiti company Mohamed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons and UAE-based Admak General Contracting Company.
surveys by Dutch consutants NACO B.V. and demanded additional funding for unexpected additional works. The delay was ten months, and construction resumed after the Bulgarian government agreed to augment the project's value by 4.8 million euro and extend the deadline to 31 August 2005.
In 2004 Strabag demanded an additional 6 million euro due to rising steel
prices. The Ministry of Transportation rejected the claim, backed by a report from NACO. In May 2005 the contractor threatened to take the case to international arbitration. In August 2005, it became clear that Strabag would not be able to meet the changed deadline, slippage being put at six to eight weeks. In November 2005 Strabag asked for eight months' further extension.
Two de-icing platforms are constructed to allow centralised de-icing procedures in winter, They are just an element of the overall strategy of Sofia Airport for environmental protection and reduction of the harmful effects resulting from the airport operations.
D-Check, that will be carried out in Bulgaria. Meanwhile the more than 350 staff trained in Bulgaria and at Lufthansa Technik facilities in Shannon Base Maintenance operations have started in the fourth quarter of 2008 with one Airbus A321 from Lufthansa as the first customer.
Glavbolgarstroy AD were selected as Contractor, as they were awarded the highest technical rating during the public procurement procedure having proposed the shortest construction timeframe. The quoted price amounts to BGN 14,813,030 inclusive of VAT and according to the Contractor's building works schedule the new Sofia TWR will be built in less than 10 months. This project is being financed entirely by BULATSA.
The construction of the new Sofia TWR is related to the reconstruction and development of Sofia Airport and is the natural extension of the development of the airport complex. The new airport control tower will allow BULATSA to ensure enhanced quality and efficiency of air navigation services (ANS) in the terminal area.
The new Sofia TWR will be situated to the west of Terminal 2 and will be complementing the terminal building in architectural terms. The total built-up area of the Tower will be 2,400 sq.m and its height will be 50 m.
A lot of consideration has been given to the design of the layout, the functional definition of the working positions, the OPS room surface area for ANS provision and meteorological observation, as well as to the requirements for visibility to the runway and the approaches and access to an open observation platform. An analysis was conducted to facilitate the definition of the necessary equipment for the air traffic controllers' working positions and the deployment of working positions in the control room of the new Tower.
History
The Project for the Construction of a New Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport commenced on 16 June 2006 with a decision of the BULATSA Management Board. Below is an outline of the main developments:
In 2007 a Council of Experts was tasked to develop the Project's Technical Assignment and prepare the documentation for a competition programme in order to acquire a conceptual design for the construction of a new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport and its adjacent infrastructure.
A preliminary road-map for project execution was developed and a permission was obtained from the Bulgarian Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) for the height of the future Tower – up to 55 metres (180.4 ft). A competition programme for a conceptual design was drafted and coordinated with the CAA, the Bulgarian Chamber of Architects, the Bulgarian Architects' Union and the Chamber of Engineers Involved in Investment Design.
An open public procedure for a conceptual design for the construction of the new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport and its adjacent infrastructure was held in 2008 and a contract was signed with Architectonika Studio OOD for the elaboration of a conceptual investment project. During the same year a contract was signed with Mix Consult OOD who would act as a consultant in the meaning of Art. 166 of the Law of the Administrative Territorial Structure of the Republic of Bulgaria during the process of design and construction of the Tower.
In 2009 a contract was concluded with Architectonika Studio OOD for the elaboration of a technical investment project as well as a contract with AT Engineering 2000 OOD, Sofia, for the construction of a fence and the separation of the construction site from the security area of Sofia Airport.
On 6 January 2010 the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria issued a building permit No. 3/06.01.2010 for the construction of Sofia Airport's new airport control tower and its adjacent infrastructure.
The selection procedure for a Contractor of the design execution and construction of the new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport was completed on 19 July 2011.
In mid 2012 we will have one of the most modern and most beautiful airport towers in Europe.
This boasts the head of state enterprise "Traffic" (ATSA) Dian Dinev, who signed with the Director of "Glavbolgarstroy" Paul Kalistratov contract for design and construction of the facility, which will cost over 14.8 million
The new tower is an extremely important facility for both ATC and the airport because it is related to the safety and security of the flight, explained by the transport department.
"It seems to me lies to try to speed things slowed down," boasted Minister Ivailo Moscow, who also attended the event.
The idea of creating her since 2006, but still not realized.
The location of the new airport control tower is west of the building of Terminal 2 at Sofia airport, from an architectural point of view the two buildings complement each other.
The total building area is over 2400 square metres (2,870.4 sq yd) and the height of the building will be 50 metres (164 ft).
Service life of the new airport control tower will be more than 40 years and is designed to serve the airport with a possible extension.
Manager will have full visibility over the airport, to guide aircraft landing and taking off.
Glass tower will have a maximum UV protection. Hall does it is completely soundproofed.
A record will be the deadline for building the new facility – just 10 months.
The need to build new control tower is connected with the reconstruction and expansion of the airport and is a natural development of the airport complex, reported from the transport department.
Contract for detailed design and construction of a new control tower of the airport and forming an ATM Glavbolgarstroy. The tower will be 50 meters high and will be built near Terminal 2 , as both architectural buildings will be complementary.
The height and location of the tower are selected so that to ensure the functioning of the airport at least another 40 years , said general director of ATC Dian Dinev. He pointed out that conditions will be provided for the introduction of latest technologies.
Artist of the project is Glavbolgarstroy who has received the highest score, bidding is soon to implement the proposed construction and a price lower than the estimates of ATC. According Dinev price of 14.8 million leva is good and fair, the funds will be entirely by ATC.
Tower project was launched in 2006 and yet strangely, so things have slowed down, said Transport Minister Ivaylo Moscow.
He pointed out that in recent times procedures are streamlined and that the selected contractor has repeatedly proven to important sites.
" construction period is short – 10 months – but I believe that will be respected , "said Moscow hoped the tower and become a symbol of the good work of air traffic control.
According to the chief of ATC next year we will have one of the most modern airport towers in Europe and one of the most beautiful.
Will be erected and a new glass wall will be built two permanent staircases, announced Monday.
A broadening of the scope for passengers and called. sterile area for domestic flights. All investment is over 1 million. This was announced to journalists Nikolay Kabakchiev, COO of Sofia Airport. He did this at a seminar on the progress in transport development in Bansko.
Approved the project for expansion of the passenger compartment in the area for arriving non-Schengen Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport, he said. From 2012 to 2018 no problem working with airport X-rays and metal detectors in the EU standard 2. Detection limits and detectors with which the requirement for liquids will be abandoned, meets standard 3 informed Kabakchiev. This is a transition to a qualitatively new standard with a special X-ray graphics.
One such facility is worth over 1 million and the airport are mounted on at least four, "he said. Producers will be ready with the production of such X-rays in the middle of 2011 and then they can be purchased anywhere in Europe. Now the airport is still working on a standard and ongoing process for the supply of standard X-ray 2. Projects relating to airspace present Dian Dinev, Director General of SE "Air Traffic".
He said the forthcoming announcement of a contract to build new aerial tower at the airport which will cost several tens of million BGN. Work is also in the possibility of providing weather information directly to the needs of air traffic control. Perform specific projects to open the electronic system and opportunities to increase revenue.
At a European Parliament relating to requirements for lighting service at airports, already has a working group of experts said Dinev.
Over 40 machines for food, drinks and coffee will be installed at Sofia Airport a month. This will significantly reduce food prices, which passengers can eat before the flight, said Nikolai Kabakchiev, COO of Sofia Airport. Already signed a contract with a company that will deliver the machines and will be responsible for charging them.
Until a few weeks for the first time in our country will be equipped with four separate machines for check in, which will allow people to place themselves on the printed board cards to choose their seat on which to sit and if you have luggage only leave it to the bar where the staff put the tag.
New and more attractive prices for goods at airport stores that compete with those of major European airports, promised by the management of the airport. This is a process that will continue to have people happy with its passage through the airport. In this regard, large free areas initially will be used as an exhibition, so that departing passengers to diversify and come first to see something really beautiful, said Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov.
Entirely new business area will start at Terminal 2, which will vary in their comfort from the existing. Terminal 1 of this zone will cost 15 Euros.
Kabakchiev added that since the summer to the airport now has signed 18 new contracts giving commercial areas, and tender prices have been reduced by about 30%.
By the end of next year's X-ray examination of luggage must be replaced with those of new generation, and metal detector frames. But they will not be the last generation that will enable the board to board liquids. This class of metal detectors have not yet been produced worldwide, but their price will be about 1 million per unit.
Still pending repair of airport Terminal 2, where the arrivals hall to be constituted in a manner suitable for the separation of passengers landing from countries outside Schengen. The total cost of this repair, the installation of two stairways, will amount to about 1,5 million.
flight FB 408 from Brussels. It was one of the biggest projects in Bulgaria to receive funds from the EU ISPA programme. The price includes the new terminal, new aircraft parking aprons, upgrading the existing aircraft parking aprons and the construction of connecting taxiways. The terminal has seven air-bridges (gates A1, B5–9 and C1), 38 check-in desks and covers an area of 50,000 sq m and has a car park for 820 vehicles. It is located to the east of Terminal 1 and is significantly bigger than the old one which continues to serve low-cost and charter airlines.
The passenger terminal building is designed with a capacity of 2,000 peak hour passengers or up to 2.6 million passengers a year, plus 26,000 tonnes of luggage. For the first time in Bulgaria, a terminal has airbridge-equipped gates instead of relying on airside busses.
The Sofia Airport Centre, a premiere corporate office, hospitality and logistics centre in Bulgaria is being constructed in the vicinity.
The infrastructure surrounding the building was expected to be completed in 2007. It includes a new dual carriageway road connecting the terminal to the existing airport road, and landscaping including an artificial lake and a fountain.The airlines ticketing offices, tourist and car hire desks, banks, post office, and cafeterias in Terminal 2 are located in the public area. The travel retail shops, Bulgarian wine and spirits shop and Business lounges are located airside beyond the area of border control. Terminal 2 is designed with special attention to disabled passengers. Their access to the different terminal levels and the multi-storey car park is facilitated via lifts and escalators.
Two bus routes (No 84 and 384) connect the airport. Line 84 goes to the Sofia University
and Line 384 to the Mladost 1 Metro Station
(working hours 5–23 every 20–30 minutes). Note: The image on the right shows the old situation from 2010, in January 2011 the bus lines changed to the above descripted situation)
Line 1 is planned to reach the airport in 2014. Construction began in July 2010.
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Located 5 km (3.1 mi) east of central Sofia. In 2010 the number of passengers was 3.3 million. Sofia airport also includes Vrazhdebna Air Base
Vrazhdebna Air Base
Vrazhdebna Air Base or 16th Transport Air Base is a military air base, located on the site of Sofia Airport. The air base functions as a hub for the 16th Transport Squadron of the BAF.- History :...
of the Bulgarian Air Force
Bulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
.
History
The airport was initially built in the late 1930s on a site 6.3 km (3.9 mi) (7.5 km (4.7 mi) by road then; later 9 km (5.6 mi) by road and today 10.2 km (6.3 mi) and up to 11.4 km (7.1 mi)) distant from the geographical centre of Sofia as a replacement of that city's small civil airport at Bozhurishte. Sofia then had under 250,000 inhabitants. The airport continues to serve the same city, which had about 1.2 million by 2011.During the Second World War, the facilities were used by the military. Mail, perishable freight and passenger operations began in 1947 from buildings on the north side of the airport. The passenger terminal (now Terminal 1) on the south side of the airport was completed during the Second World War in the manner of a then-modern European railway terminus to designs by the architect Ivan Marangozov. It opened after several years of delay in 1947. The structure comprised a government wing to the west, an international handling area in the middle, and a domestic handling area to the east. At that time, it was planned that the airport would eventually have two intersecting runways orientated at a 30-degree angle to each other.
The terminal had substantially reached its capacity of some 600,000 passengers a year by the later 1960s and was subjected to a number of refurbishments and extensions beginning in the spring of 1968. In 1975, a new international arrivals handling extension was opened to the west of the building, the domestic area to the east was enlarged, the government handling area was removed to a dedicated terminal some distance to the west, a VIP handling area opened in the old terminal, , apron area was extended to the east and new taxiways opened. A bonded warehouse
Bonded warehouse
A Bonded warehouse is a building or other secured area in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. It may be managed by the state or by private enterprise. In the latter case a customs bond must be posted with the government...
opened to the east of the terminal square in 1969 and several new hangars followed to the east of the first maintenance base in the 1970s. A new checked baggage handling system opened to the north of the building in the early 1980s, cosmetic and traffic reorganising refurbishments were carried out in 1990, with a substantial landside extension following in 2000.
By the late 1970s, the terminal was handling in the region of three million passengers a year, a million of them on domestic routes. Passenger numbers fell off sharply after the 1979 CMEA ("Comecon") oil price shock and recovered to just over a million a year by the late 1980s. In the early and mid-1990s, domestic traffic practically ceased, while foreign traffic reduced significantly. The latter began growing apace in the late 1990s and early 2000s to reach its current levels. The terminal was last refurbished partially in 1990. In 2000 it underwent a wholesale update in which the international arrivals area was moved to the east wing where domestic handling had been, the former international arrivals area to the west was closed, and the layout of the central international departures area was changed in line with world developments. Despite the works to the old terminal, the airport was becoming overwhelmed with passenger traffic.
Options for different airport developments began to be examined in the mid-1960s. One option was to relocate the facility to a new site, with some locations up to 70 km (43.5 mi) from Sofia). Another option involved extending the airport's area radically to the north-east and gradually removing the focus of the airport there. A third option was to develop substantially the same site. By the later 1980s the authorities had settled on the last option. Project design, involving a new terminal to the east of the old facility, a new runway to the north of (and parallel to) the existing runway, and taxiways, was completed by the mid-1990s. A finance package involving very significant European and Kuwaiti investment was initially agreed in 1998 and was in place by 2000. Works began in 2001. The new runway and some taxiways were completed in mid-2006. Terminal 2 was formally inaugurated on 27 December 2006.
Design and construction of a new control tower was mooted in 2006 but this project appeared to be in abeyance by 2008. Over the years, Sofia Airport has been criticised for its lack of world class air freight facilities and for some access problems. Passengers to and from the Bulgarian interior have to access or egress the airport through crowded rail and coach facilities in central Sofia. A rail link has been mooted on several occasions since the 1960s but no moves have been documented to its implementation. The airport is occasionally criticised as a source of environmental noise and pollution and strict noise abatement procedures have been enforced for departing traffic since the mid-1970s, while arriving traffic is generally routed to approach the field from the east, clear of Sofia.
A significant and recurring operational criticism of Sofia Airport has concerned its historical lack of all-weather operations capability. Though the new runway was designed for ICAO Category 3 operations, in 2007 it emerged that radio interference from security fencing, and most significantly from a large newly-built lorry park, prevented certification (and hence use) of the associated radio navigational aids. During the winter months, the airport, located on a high alluvial plain surrounded by mountains, suffers from very significant and frequent fog precipitation. In such circumstances, flights are redirected to diversion airports in Bulgaria or neighbouring countries, lengthening journeys by many hours.
Airport reconstruction
According to the plan a new Sofia Airport terminalAirport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
was built to the east of the old terminal, and a second runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
was constructed alongside the existing one. The old runway has been turned into a taxiway parallel to the newly constructed runway. Both cross the Iskar
Iskar
The Iskar is, with a length of 368 km, the longest river that runs solely in Bulgaria, and a tributary of the Danube.The Iskar is formed by three rivers, the Cherni Iskar, Beli Iskar and Levi Iskar , with the source being accepted to be the Prav Iskar, a tributary of the Cherni Iskar...
river. The new runway was opened in August 2006, while the new terminal opened in December 2006.
Total cost of the project was planned at 200 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s. Finance was secured in 1997-98 from the European Investment Bank
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
(60 million euro), Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development , commonly known as the Kuwait Fund, is the State of Kuwait’s agency for the provision and administration of financial and technical assistance to developing countries...
(12.3 million Kuwaiti dinar
Kuwaiti dinar
The dinar is the currency of Kuwait. It is sub-divided into 1000 fils. It is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.-History:...
s, approx. 41.5 million euro), and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
PHARE
Phare
The Phare programme is one of the three pre-accession instruments financed by the European Union to assist the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union....
Programme (7.6 million euro). In August 2000 an ISPA
Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession
Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession is one of the three financial instruments of the European Union to assist the candidate countries in the preparation for accession...
grant of 50 million euro was allocated and in December the Financing Memorandum was signed.
The construction works were in two lots: the new terminal with its surrounding infrastructure, and the new runway. The first lot was allocated to the German branch of Austrian company Strabag
Strabag
Strabag is a European construction company based in Villach, with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria). It is the largest construction company in Austria and one of the largest construction companies in Europe...
, while the second lot was won by a consortium of Kuwaiti company Mohamed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons and UAE-based Admak General Contracting Company.
Delays to terminal construction
The initial completion deadline for the new terminal was 15 December 2004 to a total budget of 112.2 million euro. Immediately after works started, Strabag contested the geologicalGeology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
surveys by Dutch consutants NACO B.V. and demanded additional funding for unexpected additional works. The delay was ten months, and construction resumed after the Bulgarian government agreed to augment the project's value by 4.8 million euro and extend the deadline to 31 August 2005.
In 2004 Strabag demanded an additional 6 million euro due to rising steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
prices. The Ministry of Transportation rejected the claim, backed by a report from NACO. In May 2005 the contractor threatened to take the case to international arbitration. In August 2005, it became clear that Strabag would not be able to meet the changed deadline, slippage being put at six to eight weeks. In November 2005 Strabag asked for eight months' further extension.
Runway system
On 31 August 2006, Sofia Airport set its new runway system to operation, replacing the old and out-of-date facilities. The new runway is offset at 210 m (689 ft) to the north of the old runway, with the eastern end of its 3600 m (11,811 ft) long strip crossing over the Iskar river bed on a specially constructed bridge. New rapid and connecting taxiways are built additionally to open way for 200 aircraft movements per hour at a high level of safety. The navigational aids installed on the new runway enable landing operations under low visibility conditions at category III of the ICAO standards.Two de-icing platforms are constructed to allow centralised de-icing procedures in winter, They are just an element of the overall strategy of Sofia Airport for environmental protection and reduction of the harmful effects resulting from the airport operations.
Lufthansa Technik-Sofia
Lufthansa Technik Sofia was founded in late 2007 as a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik (80%) and the Bulgarian Aviation Group (20%). With the foundation of Lufthansa Technik Sofia, the Lufthansa Technik Group has created a fifth platform for the overhaul and maintenance of narrowbody aircraft in Europe. The Bulgarian facility serves customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The facility has undergone a major reconstruction and upgrading, with the target to be ready for the heaviest stage of Aircraft maintenance checksAircraft maintenance checks
Aircraft maintenance checks are periodic checks that have to be done on all aircraft after a certain amount of time or usage. Airlines and other commercial operators of large or turbine-powered aircraft follow a continuous inspection program approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in the...
D-Check, that will be carried out in Bulgaria. Meanwhile the more than 350 staff trained in Bulgaria and at Lufthansa Technik facilities in Shannon Base Maintenance operations have started in the fourth quarter of 2008 with one Airbus A321 from Lufthansa as the first customer.
The New Control Tower
On 19 August 2011 in the presence of Mr Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, the BULATSA Director General Mr Diyan Dinev, Glavbolgarstroy AD Chief Executive Director Mr Pavel Kalistratov and Glavbolgarstroy AD Executive Director and Management Board Member Mrs Nina Stoyanova signed the design execution and construction contract between BULATSA and Glavbolgarstroy AD for the new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport (Sofia TWR).Glavbolgarstroy AD were selected as Contractor, as they were awarded the highest technical rating during the public procurement procedure having proposed the shortest construction timeframe. The quoted price amounts to BGN 14,813,030 inclusive of VAT and according to the Contractor's building works schedule the new Sofia TWR will be built in less than 10 months. This project is being financed entirely by BULATSA.
The construction of the new Sofia TWR is related to the reconstruction and development of Sofia Airport and is the natural extension of the development of the airport complex. The new airport control tower will allow BULATSA to ensure enhanced quality and efficiency of air navigation services (ANS) in the terminal area.
The new Sofia TWR will be situated to the west of Terminal 2 and will be complementing the terminal building in architectural terms. The total built-up area of the Tower will be 2,400 sq.m and its height will be 50 m.
A lot of consideration has been given to the design of the layout, the functional definition of the working positions, the OPS room surface area for ANS provision and meteorological observation, as well as to the requirements for visibility to the runway and the approaches and access to an open observation platform. An analysis was conducted to facilitate the definition of the necessary equipment for the air traffic controllers' working positions and the deployment of working positions in the control room of the new Tower.
History
The Project for the Construction of a New Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport commenced on 16 June 2006 with a decision of the BULATSA Management Board. Below is an outline of the main developments:
In 2007 a Council of Experts was tasked to develop the Project's Technical Assignment and prepare the documentation for a competition programme in order to acquire a conceptual design for the construction of a new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport and its adjacent infrastructure.
A preliminary road-map for project execution was developed and a permission was obtained from the Bulgarian Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) for the height of the future Tower – up to 55 metres (180.4 ft). A competition programme for a conceptual design was drafted and coordinated with the CAA, the Bulgarian Chamber of Architects, the Bulgarian Architects' Union and the Chamber of Engineers Involved in Investment Design.
An open public procedure for a conceptual design for the construction of the new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport and its adjacent infrastructure was held in 2008 and a contract was signed with Architectonika Studio OOD for the elaboration of a conceptual investment project. During the same year a contract was signed with Mix Consult OOD who would act as a consultant in the meaning of Art. 166 of the Law of the Administrative Territorial Structure of the Republic of Bulgaria during the process of design and construction of the Tower.
In 2009 a contract was concluded with Architectonika Studio OOD for the elaboration of a technical investment project as well as a contract with AT Engineering 2000 OOD, Sofia, for the construction of a fence and the separation of the construction site from the security area of Sofia Airport.
On 6 January 2010 the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria issued a building permit No. 3/06.01.2010 for the construction of Sofia Airport's new airport control tower and its adjacent infrastructure.
The selection procedure for a Contractor of the design execution and construction of the new Airport Control Tower at Sofia Airport was completed on 19 July 2011.
In mid 2012 we will have one of the most modern and most beautiful airport towers in Europe.
This boasts the head of state enterprise "Traffic" (ATSA) Dian Dinev, who signed with the Director of "Glavbolgarstroy" Paul Kalistratov contract for design and construction of the facility, which will cost over 14.8 million
The new tower is an extremely important facility for both ATC and the airport because it is related to the safety and security of the flight, explained by the transport department.
"It seems to me lies to try to speed things slowed down," boasted Minister Ivailo Moscow, who also attended the event.
The idea of creating her since 2006, but still not realized.
The location of the new airport control tower is west of the building of Terminal 2 at Sofia airport, from an architectural point of view the two buildings complement each other.
The total building area is over 2400 square metres (2,870.4 sq yd) and the height of the building will be 50 metres (164 ft).
Service life of the new airport control tower will be more than 40 years and is designed to serve the airport with a possible extension.
Manager will have full visibility over the airport, to guide aircraft landing and taking off.
Glass tower will have a maximum UV protection. Hall does it is completely soundproofed.
A record will be the deadline for building the new facility – just 10 months.
The need to build new control tower is connected with the reconstruction and expansion of the airport and is a natural development of the airport complex, reported from the transport department.
Contract for detailed design and construction of a new control tower of the airport and forming an ATM Glavbolgarstroy. The tower will be 50 meters high and will be built near Terminal 2 , as both architectural buildings will be complementary.
The height and location of the tower are selected so that to ensure the functioning of the airport at least another 40 years , said general director of ATC Dian Dinev. He pointed out that conditions will be provided for the introduction of latest technologies.
Artist of the project is Glavbolgarstroy who has received the highest score, bidding is soon to implement the proposed construction and a price lower than the estimates of ATC. According Dinev price of 14.8 million leva is good and fair, the funds will be entirely by ATC.
Tower project was launched in 2006 and yet strangely, so things have slowed down, said Transport Minister Ivaylo Moscow.
He pointed out that in recent times procedures are streamlined and that the selected contractor has repeatedly proven to important sites.
" construction period is short – 10 months – but I believe that will be respected , "said Moscow hoped the tower and become a symbol of the good work of air traffic control.
According to the chief of ATC next year we will have one of the most modern airport towers in Europe and one of the most beautiful.
Sofia Airport Upgrade
Approved the project for expansion of the passenger compartment in the area for arriving non-Schengen Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport.Will be erected and a new glass wall will be built two permanent staircases, announced Monday.
A broadening of the scope for passengers and called. sterile area for domestic flights. All investment is over 1 million. This was announced to journalists Nikolay Kabakchiev, COO of Sofia Airport. He did this at a seminar on the progress in transport development in Bansko.
Approved the project for expansion of the passenger compartment in the area for arriving non-Schengen Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport, he said. From 2012 to 2018 no problem working with airport X-rays and metal detectors in the EU standard 2. Detection limits and detectors with which the requirement for liquids will be abandoned, meets standard 3 informed Kabakchiev. This is a transition to a qualitatively new standard with a special X-ray graphics.
One such facility is worth over 1 million and the airport are mounted on at least four, "he said. Producers will be ready with the production of such X-rays in the middle of 2011 and then they can be purchased anywhere in Europe. Now the airport is still working on a standard and ongoing process for the supply of standard X-ray 2. Projects relating to airspace present Dian Dinev, Director General of SE "Air Traffic".
He said the forthcoming announcement of a contract to build new aerial tower at the airport which will cost several tens of million BGN. Work is also in the possibility of providing weather information directly to the needs of air traffic control. Perform specific projects to open the electronic system and opportunities to increase revenue.
At a European Parliament relating to requirements for lighting service at airports, already has a working group of experts said Dinev.
Over 40 machines for food, drinks and coffee will be installed at Sofia Airport a month. This will significantly reduce food prices, which passengers can eat before the flight, said Nikolai Kabakchiev, COO of Sofia Airport. Already signed a contract with a company that will deliver the machines and will be responsible for charging them.
Until a few weeks for the first time in our country will be equipped with four separate machines for check in, which will allow people to place themselves on the printed board cards to choose their seat on which to sit and if you have luggage only leave it to the bar where the staff put the tag.
New and more attractive prices for goods at airport stores that compete with those of major European airports, promised by the management of the airport. This is a process that will continue to have people happy with its passage through the airport. In this regard, large free areas initially will be used as an exhibition, so that departing passengers to diversify and come first to see something really beautiful, said Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov.
Entirely new business area will start at Terminal 2, which will vary in their comfort from the existing. Terminal 1 of this zone will cost 15 Euros.
Kabakchiev added that since the summer to the airport now has signed 18 new contracts giving commercial areas, and tender prices have been reduced by about 30%.
By the end of next year's X-ray examination of luggage must be replaced with those of new generation, and metal detector frames. But they will not be the last generation that will enable the board to board liquids. This class of metal detectors have not yet been produced worldwide, but their price will be about 1 million per unit.
Still pending repair of airport Terminal 2, where the arrivals hall to be constituted in a manner suitable for the separation of passengers landing from countries outside Schengen. The total cost of this repair, the installation of two stairways, will amount to about 1,5 million.
Terminals
Terminal 1
This terminal, which is well known to the inbound/outbound passengers in Sofia, now has a new name – Terminal 1. It was built in the first half of the 20th century and opened on 16 September 1937. It has been extended and improved many times, fundamentally renovated in 2000, still making, though, curious allusions to the latest history of the continent. Terminal 1 offers easy access, simple procedures and efficient services up to the modern airport standard.Terminal 2
Terminal 2 was officially opened on 27 December 2006 with the symbolic arrival of Bulgaria AirBulgaria Air
Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share...
flight FB 408 from Brussels. It was one of the biggest projects in Bulgaria to receive funds from the EU ISPA programme. The price includes the new terminal, new aircraft parking aprons, upgrading the existing aircraft parking aprons and the construction of connecting taxiways. The terminal has seven air-bridges (gates A1, B5–9 and C1), 38 check-in desks and covers an area of 50,000 sq m and has a car park for 820 vehicles. It is located to the east of Terminal 1 and is significantly bigger than the old one which continues to serve low-cost and charter airlines.
The passenger terminal building is designed with a capacity of 2,000 peak hour passengers or up to 2.6 million passengers a year, plus 26,000 tonnes of luggage. For the first time in Bulgaria, a terminal has airbridge-equipped gates instead of relying on airside busses.
The Sofia Airport Centre, a premiere corporate office, hospitality and logistics centre in Bulgaria is being constructed in the vicinity.
The infrastructure surrounding the building was expected to be completed in 2007. It includes a new dual carriageway road connecting the terminal to the existing airport road, and landscaping including an artificial lake and a fountain.The airlines ticketing offices, tourist and car hire desks, banks, post office, and cafeterias in Terminal 2 are located in the public area. The travel retail shops, Bulgarian wine and spirits shop and Business lounges are located airside beyond the area of border control. Terminal 2 is designed with special attention to disabled passengers. Their access to the different terminal levels and the multi-storey car park is facilitated via lifts and escalators.
Scheduled flights
Charter flights
Cargo airlines
Traffic figures
| Year | Passengers | Change | Cargo (tonnes) | Change | Aircraft movements | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1,250,700 | 10,180 | 24,726 | |||
| 1999 | 1,236,610 | 1.1% | 12,378 | 21.6% | 25,178 | 1.8% |
| 2000 | 1,127,866 | 8.8% | 11,036 | 10.8% | 24,785 | 1.6% |
| 2001 | 1,107,682 | 1.8% | 10,381 | 5.9% | 21,860 | 11.8% |
| 2002 | 1,214,198 | 9.6% | 12,482 | 20.2% | 24,211 | 10.8% |
| 2003 | 1,356,469 | 11.7% | 13,461 | 7.8% | 25,517 | 5.4% |
| 2004 | 1,614,304 | 19.0% | 14,472 | 7.5% | 28,700 | 12.5% |
| 2005 | 1,874,000 | 16.1% | 14,725 | 1.7% | 32,188 | 12.2% |
| 2006 | 2,209,350 | 17.9% | 15,241 | 3.5% | 38,119 | 18.4% |
| 2007 | 2,745,880 | 24.3% | 17,392 | 14.1% | 43,005 | 12.8% |
| 2008 | 3,230,696 | 17.7% | 18,294 | 5.2% | 48,626 | 13.1% |
| 2009 | 3,134,657 | 3.0% | 15,093 | 17.5% | 45,698 | 6.0% |
| 2010 | 3,296,936 | 5.2% | 15,322 | 1.5% | 47,061 | 3.0% |
| 2011 (01.01-31.10) | 2,981,976 | 5.9% | 13,034 | 5.2% | 40,215 | 1.7% |
| City | Airport(s) | Weekly Departures (December 2011) |
Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
 ViennaVienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... |
Schwechat Airport | |
Austrian Airlines Austrian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Austria, headquartered in Office Park 2 on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Wien-Umgebung and a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Together with regional subsidiary Tyrolean Airways and charter arm Lauda Air, it operates... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... , Niki, Tyrolean Airways |
 FrankfurtFrankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S... |
|
Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... , Lufthansa Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... , Lufthansa CityLine Lufthansa CityLine Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a regional airline based in Cologne, Germany. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and member of the Lufthansa Regional network. It is the largest regional airline in Europe. Its main base is Cologne Bonn Airport, with hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport... |
 AthensAthens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
Athens Airport | |
Air Malta Air Malta plc is the national airline of Malta, headquartered in Luqa. It operates services to 36 destinations in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The airline's hub and base is at Malta International Airport.- History :... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... , Olympic Air Olympic Air Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatisation of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the... |
 Bourgas |
Bourgas Airport | |
Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
 BucharestBucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... |
Otopeni Airport Henri Coanda International Airport Henri Coandă International Airport is Romania's busiest international airport, located northwest of the city of Bucharest, within Otopeni city limits. One of two airports serving the Romanian capital, the other being Băneasa, it is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă, builder of... |
|
TAROM S.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for... , Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft... |
 RomeRome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... |
Fiumicino Airport | |
Alitalia Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... , Wizz Air Wizz Air Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was... |
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Heathrow Airport | |
British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
| Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
Franz Josef Strauss Airport | |
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... |
 ParisParis Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Charles de Gaulle Airport | |
Air France Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
 MoscowMoscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
Sheremetyevo Airport Sheremetyevo International Airport Sheremetyevo International Airport , is an international airport located in the Moscow Oblast, Russia, north-west of central Moscow. It is a hub for the passenger operations of the Russian international airline Aeroflot, and one of the three major airports serving Moscow along with Domodedovo... |
|
Aeroflot OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year... , Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
 IstanbulIstanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... |
Atatürk Airport Atatürk International Airport Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the... |
|
Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul... |
 MadridMadrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
Barajas Airport | |
Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... , Wizz Air Wizz Air Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was... |
| Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... |
Schiphol Airport | |
Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
| Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
Tegel Airport | |
Bulgaria Air Bulgaria Air , is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria, with its head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport in Sofia. The company is owned by Chimimport Inc and is a leader in terms of market share... |
 BudapestBudapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
Liszt Ferenc Airport | |
Malév Hungarian Airlines Malév Hungarian Airlines is the flag carrier and principal airline of Hungary. It has its head office in the Lurdy House in Budapest, with its main operations at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. From there, the airline flies to 50 cities in 34 countries worldwide using a fleet of 22... |
Bus
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
and Line 384 to the Mladost 1 Metro Station
Mladost 1 Metro Station
Mladost 1 Metro Station is a station on the Sofia Metro in Bulgaria. It started operation on May 8, 2009.-Location and architectural design:...
(working hours 5–23 every 20–30 minutes). Note: The image on the right shows the old situation from 2010, in January 2011 the bus lines changed to the above descripted situation)
Shuttle bus
A small shuttle bus (No 30) connects the first terminal with the city centre and Sofia's biggest residential area of Lyulin.Taxi
Taxis are available at the landside of the arrivals areas of Terminals 1 and 2. OK Supertrans is the official taxi provider to Sofia airport. Taxi cost 5 – 7 Euro (10 to 15 leva) to the city centre. Fraudsters, posing as a taxi driver in the lobby often require 50 Euro or more for a ride into town. The official price must be showed on the window of each cab – it is currently (07/2011) 0,59/0,70 Lewa per kilometer (day/night).Metro
An extension of the Sofia MetroSofia Metro
The Sofia Metropolitan is the underground urban railway network servicing the Bulgarian capital Sofia. It is the first and only network of this kind in Bulgaria...
Line 1 is planned to reach the airport in 2014. Construction began in July 2010.
Incidents and accidents
- On December 22, 1971, a Balkan Airlines Il-18Ilyushin Il-18The Ilyushin Il-18 is a large turboprop airliner that became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era as well as one of the most popular and durable, having first flown in 1957 and still in use over 50 years later. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades...
, crashed en route to AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. 28 people on board died. - On November 22, 1975, a Balkan Bulgarian airlines An-24 crashes short of the runway after take-off in icing conditions. 48 people onboard, three killed.
- On 10 January 1984, a Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-1341984 Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crashThe 1984 Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crash occurred on 10 January 1984 when a Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 airliner crashed on an international flight from Berlin to Sofia, Bulgaria. While on approach to Sofia airport in heavy snow the crew failed to make visual contact with the...
crashed on approach in bad weather. All 50 people on board died. - On 2 August 1988, a Balkan Airlines Yak-40Yakovlev Yak-40The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small, three-engined airliner that is often called the first regional jet transport aircraft...
, crashed in Iskar riverIskarThe Iskar is, with a length of 368 km, the longest river that runs solely in Bulgaria, and a tributary of the Danube.The Iskar is formed by three rivers, the Cherni Iskar, Beli Iskar and Levi Iskar , with the source being accepted to be the Prav Iskar, a tributary of the Cherni Iskar...
. There were 28 fatalities from 37 passengers on board.
See also
- List of airports in Bulgaria
- List of airlines of Bulgaria
- List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic