site.btaDecember 27, 2006: Sofia Airport Opens Terminal 2

Terminal 2 at Sofia Airport (now Vasil Levski Sofia Airport) opened officially on December 7, 2006, with then Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, Transport Minister Petar Mutafchiev, MPs, the mayor of Sofia and other official guests in attendance. The ceremony included a welcome for the first passenger flight to land at the new terminal, operated by Bulgaria Air from Brussels.

EU Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hubner and Antonio Izquierdo Ramon, Charge d'Affaires, a.i., EC Delegation to Bulgaria, addressed those present.

The expansion and modernization project for the capital's airport dates from the mid-1990s. Ahead of Bulgaria's accession to the European Union on January 1, 2007, it was important that the new terminal should meet international standards.

The project cost EUR 135 million and was financed through the EU's ISPA (Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) programme, the State budget, loans from the European Investment Bank and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

Terminal 2 covers 56,850 sq m and has an annual capacity of 2.6 million passengers. Facilities include retail outlets, information desks, ticket offices, a business centre and parking.

Following is an authentic news item from BTA's External Service:

New Passenger Terminal Commissioned at Sofia Airport

Sofia, December 27 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and Transport Minister Peter Mutafchiev attended a commissioning ceremony for a new passenger terminal at Sofia Airport.

Addressing the ceremony, the Prime Minister described Sofia Airport as "Bulgaria's principal gateway to the world" and an "infrastructure project of major national importance." In his opinion, this project demonstrates Bulgaria's new European present. "I would like to emphasize that our country's EU membership opens up a new window of opportunity for modernization of infrastructure, of the economy, of social relations, and I am convinced that an increasing number of Bulgarians will feel the tangible benefits of EU membership next year," Stanishev said.

He thanked the audience for wearing on their lapels Bulgarian tri-colour ribbons inscribed "You Are Not Alone". "This is a token that neither the Bulgarian State nor Bulgarian society have given up the cause of having the Bulgarian nurses [sentenced to death in Libya] back home safe and sound," the PM noted.

The new 50,000 sq m terminal took Austrian-registered Strabag and Bulgarian subcontractors some 22 months to build. It has a capacity to handle 2,600,000 passengers and 26,000 tonnes of cargo annually. Between 1,500 and 2,000 passengers can pass through the terminal in peak hours.

The new terminal has 38 check-in desks, 32 passport control booths and a four-level parking for 820 cars. The facility will be manned by 274 border police officers, all of whom have a command of one Western language, and 30 per cent can speak two, the Interior Ministry said.

According to EU requirements, separate corridors are provided for passengers from EU Member States and from other countries.

The airport's old terminal will remain in operation, with ten gates for arrivals and ten gates for departures, one gate at the VIP lounge and two gates at the Government lounge. Arrangements have been made at both terminals for uninterrupted work at 12-hour shifts. IT/LG