site.btaSofia Airport Marks 41% Growth January-June 2017

Sofia, September 14 (BTA) - In the first eight months of the year, a total of 4,363,140 passengers were handled at the Sofia Airport, 41 per cent up compared to the like period of last year, Transport Minister Ivailo Moskovski said on Wednesday at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of Sofia Airport.

Moskovski also said that Sofia Airport will be connected to the Podouene Railway Station and will become an attractive business territory. The fact that a concession for the use of the airport will be awarded means that it will remain state owned and there is no place for concern.

Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova said that the number of passengers using the underground to the airport has doubled - from 3,000 to 6,000 and even 8,000. Sofia is among the top ten European destinations with an 8-per cent annual growth of tourists.
    
During the past month passengers on regular international flights increased by 32 per cent on year. The number of passengers on domestic flights rose by 41 per cent and charter flights more than doubled year-on-year. The most preferred destinations in august were Greece, Turkey and Spain.

As many as 5,260 planes were serviced at the Sofia Airport in August 2017, which is about 14 per cent up compared to the previous year. Domestic flights to Varna and Bourgas increased by 21 per cent.

A total of 1,601 tonnes of cargo and postal shipments were handled in August, of which 59 per cent were flown by cargo aircraft and the rest by passenger planes.
   
A comparative analysis of the handled passengers in the 2007-2017 period shows that there was a decrease (3 per cent) only in 2009. There was a zero growth in 2012, while since 2016 the growth was 22 per cent to reach the record-high 41 per cent during the current year.

At present, 29 air carriers operate on the Sofia Airport performing flights to 84 airports of 27 countries in Europe and the Middle East. The take-offs and landings in 2016 were 51,829. Some 5 million passengers were serviced during the past year, 22 per cent up year-on-year.

In July alone, Sofia Airport handled more than 611,000 passengers, with 65 per cent of them going through Terminal 2 and the rest through Terminal 1.

Passengers on regular international flights increased by 33 per cent on year. The number of passengers on domestic flights rose by 57 per cent due to interest in the Black Sea resorts at the height of the season. Charter flights increased by 12 per cent  in July on year.
         
The Bulgarian King Boris III decreed the opening of Sofia Airport on September 16, 1937. However, flights were performed already in the early 1930s.

The first regular service Sofia-Bourgas was launched on June 29, 1947 and was performed by a Junckers Ju 52 plane.