History of Sofia Airport

The international airport in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia was completely renovated in 2006. The new Terminal 2 was built next to the old Terminal 1. It is a now a modern airport with good facilities. Terminal 1 is exclusively for budget companies and charter flights.

 

The airport is ten kilometers east of the center of Sofia. Not all destinations on the road signs are given in English, but the route from the airport to the center is given in English.

According to the plan a new Sofia Airport terminal was built to the east of the current terminal, and a second runway was constructed alongside the existing one. The existing 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.

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 was officially opened on 27 December 2006 with the symbolic arrival of Bulgaria Air 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.