It was the first time that Sofia hosted an international conference on air transport. The brainchild of German aviation consultant DA! GmbH, Aviation-Event SOF 2024 highlighted thehe ambitions of the Bulgarian capital in Europe by air. European media were able to find out what the future holds for the airport in the Bulgarian capital. And what this will mean for aviation in the Balkans as a whole.
Since 2019, Sofia has been in the hands of the French airport operator Meridiam. Meridiam won a 35-year concession for the Bulgarian hub in 2019, in partnership with Munich airport. Meridiam has promised to invest some 600 million euros in airport infrastructure.
According to Jesus Caballero Pinto, airport CEOThe company's ambition is to transform Sofia into a regional hub for the entire Balkan region. " We don't want to position ourselves as a global hub. Firstly because there are already such hubs in the region, such as Istanbul and even Athens. On the other hand, we are ideally placed to assert our role as a gateway to the Balkans, in a catchment area that stretches from Western Europe to the Middle East." he says.
A growing airport
In Central and Eastern Europe, aviation remains a determining factor for passenger mobility, given the still poorly developed ground infrastructure. Sofia airport is no exception to the rule. It has weathered the Covid years well, recording a strong upturn in traffic.
Last year, the airport welcomed 7.2 million passengersThis represents an increase of more than 20% compared with 2022, enabling Sofia to exceed its pre-Covid traffic levels. The airport is on course to post a new passenger record in 2024, with traffic expected to represent 8.5 million passengers. But for Jesus Caballero Pinto, the aim is to handle 20 million passengers a year in the future. The consortium has launched development work, the most emblematic of which will be a brand new terminal.
" The investment in terminal 3 at Sofia airport, which marks a major milestone, is to redefining industry standards and travel to Eastern Europe. It will improve the passenger experience, enhance operational efficiency and promote both Bulgaria's economic growth and the airport's sustainability." says the airport CEO.
The new state-of-the-art terminal alone will cost over 250 million euros. With a surface area of 65,000 square metres, it will be linked to the existing Terminal 2.. It will feature transparent, contemporary architecture, inspired in particular by Bulgarian landscapes. Four levels of passenger circulation will be created, providing efficient connections for transit passengers. " We have a vocation to be a real hub for regional air traffic".explains Jesus Caballero Pinto.
Becoming a regional hub
To facilitate its role as an air gateway and transit point, the airport is banking on cutting-edge technologies - in particular digital technology. The new complex comprising terminals 2 and 3 will offer 52 check-in desks as well as self-service kiosks. Security checks will be able to process up to 3,250 passengers per hour. In addition, baggage handling capacity will reach 2,400 units per hour.
The new routes and a shopping area of over 10,000 m2 should make Sofia an attractive airport for travellers in the region. According to the airport authority, a 10% development rate for hub activities should generate a 0.5 % increase in Bulgaria's GDP.
The airport is currently linked to some sixty destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.. This is essentially point-to-point traffic. In fact, there is a lack of destinations within Balkan Europe itself. Apart from flights to Belgrade, there are no routes to the republics of the former Yugoslavia. You'll be looking in vain for flights to Tirana or Moldova...
French-speaking Europe, on the other hand, is relatively well served. Apart from the absence of flights to Geneva or Luxembourg, Sofia is linked to Beauvais, Paris CDG, Lyon, Nice, Brussels and Basel-Mulhouse.. Next spring will see the addition of a new daily flight to Paris Orly offered by Easyjet.
Jesus Caballero Pinto is confident that Sofia have what it takes. " We have the lowest airport charges in the region, and indeed in Europe. This is a key argument in attracting airlines." he stresses.
Ground-breaking ceremony for Sofia's transformation into a regional hub is scheduled for April 2026. With scheduled to open in 2031…
