Sofia Airport wins major international travel award
07/25/2017
Sofia Airport wins international travel award
Sofia Airport EAD
Address 1 Christopher Columbus Boulevard,1540, Sofia
Tel:+359 2 937 2211 (24 hours)
Website: www.sofia-airport.bg/
IATA CODE: SOF
ICAO CODE: LBSF
Address 1 Christopher Columbus Boulevard,1540, Sofia
Tel:+359 2 937 2211 (24 hours)
Website: www.sofia-airport.bg/
IATA CODE: SOF
ICAO CODE: LBSF
As the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia is bound to have a busy airport, but this week the airport's management was honored with an international travel award for the tremendous recent growth in passenger numbers. We thought we would give you some more information about this modern airport.
Sofia Airport
Sofia is the fastest growing airport in the category 3-5 million. The airport recorded 21% growth. Over the past few years, Sofia airport has attracted considerable interest from European budget, or low-cost, airlines and is now a regional hub for Wizzair, Ryanair, and Easyjet.
A wide variety of destinations includes Prague, Athens, Brussels, Barcelona, London Luton, Vienna, Tel Aviv and Paris-CDG. Currently, there are no direct flights from the U.S.A. to Sofia. However, there are regular flights via Istanbul among a series of options. It is anticipated that a flight from either New York or Chicago will be inaugurated in the next few years.
Airlines serving Sofia Airport include British Airways, Austrian, Air France, Easyjet, and Turkish Airlines.The top three carriers, according to passenger numbers are Wizzair, Bulgaria Air, and Ryanair. Wizzair has a 30% share of travelers.The busiest routes are London with 351,000 passengers followed by Milan 92,000 and Vienna 81,000.Figures by destination show that London is the most popular with 52 flights a week, followed by Vienna on 34 and the domestic flight to Varna with 27 departures a week.
Terminal 2
A second passenger terminal has been added as well as a Metro Station to Terminal 2. A shuttle bus links the old and the new terminals. The airport is four miles east of the city center. Buses and taxies also serve the airport.Passengers wanting taxies should book via the cab office inside Terminal 1. By road, the airport is just off the Sofia Ring Road at the junction with the E80/E79.
Ryanair and national carrier Bulgaria Air have moved all flights to the new building. Terminal 2 is a modern one with air-bridge gates and can handle up to two thousand passengers per hour, or 2.6 million customers per year.Luggage capacity is up to 26,000 tons.The terminal is also disabled-friendly. All Wizzair flights are from Terminal 1, except the daily Varna flight which departs from Terminal 2.
Sofia Airport Lounges
The airports Sofia Lounge is on the west side of Terminal 1, on the second floor. For €14 (for a stay up to three hours) you can enjoy TV soft drinks, Wi-fi, snacks, and newspapers.Alcoholic beverages are available, but are charged for. Children can go in for free, and there is a play area within the lounge for them to enjoy. The airport operates a New Generation Loyalty Card for frequent flyers which offers discounted admission to the Lounges.
There are two other lounges at the airport. The Preslav Lounge in Terminal 2 Level '0' has seating for fifty passengers and a business center with the usual fax and photocopying facilities and a smoking room. The cost is €18 for up to three hours. The Pliska Lounge in Terminal 2 Level +1 has newspapers magazines and business services. The price is €14.40 for up to three hours.
Eating and Shopping
Public Dining Facilities include the Sky Bar, World News Cafe and the Deli Sandwich Bar (all Terminal 2). In Terminal 1 there is a bar on the passenger side.Regarding shopping facilities, there is the usual range of duty-free shops and outlets for perfume, drinks, and cigars among others.
Other Facilities
There are Banks and ATM'S in both terminals as well as Insurance services. A baggage wrapping service is situated in the public areas of both terminals; one standard suitcase costs 10lv. For those worried about overweight baggage, there is a 1lv charge for weighing. There is a post office in the public area of Terminals 1 and 2. There are several car rental offices.