site.btaTransport Minister Orders Weekly Inspections amid Airport Service Lapses

Inspections of ground handling services at Sofia Airport have revealed irregularities, Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov announced on Monday in a Facebook post. Among the findings were dirty airport buses, rude staff and inadequate passenger information.

The first inspection took place on June 6 and covered six flights. It revealed poor hygiene in buses, failure to use the "kneeling" function (lowering the bus for easier boarding and disembarking), air conditioning systems not being used, and a lack of information provided to passengers when buses were delayed, Karadjov said.

He added that the General Directorate of Civil Aviation Administration (GD CAA) has sent letters to operators, urging stricter control of these services - including cleaning buses, operating air conditioning, and informing passengers appropriately.

Karadjov commented that these measures could be implemented immediately, but they are not being followed.

During a surprise follow-up inspection he ordered, it was found that "virtually nothing had changed." It was carried out on June 11 and covered five flights, confirmed the same issues: dirty buses without air conditioning and rude staff.

Karadjov added that he also ordered inspections at the airports in Burgas and Varna.

On June 11, six flights at Burgas Airport were inspected. The ground handling operators there - Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD, Swissport Bulgaria AD, and Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD - were found to be using buses, many of which lacked air conditioning, and again failing to lower buses for passenger access or provide assistance to people with reduced mobility or parents with children. No passenger information was given during delays.

The situation was the same at Varna Airport, where seven flights were inspected on June 10 and 11.

According to Karadjov, Civil Aviation Administration has now issued mandatory instructions to all airport operators. These include cleaning buses before each shift and after every route with proper record-keeping, and implementing procedures to inform passengers when they have to wait on buses. If possible, an additional staff member should accompany them. Operators’ management teams are to conduct internal inspections, and a customer service standard must be set in place by the end of July.

Penalties are now being enforced - starting with fines and potentially leading to license revocation. "Since the current maximum fines are laughably low - just up to 500 BGN - I have instructed the Civil Aviation Administration to review and significantly increase the penalty rates," Karadjov stated.

He concluded by saying that airport inspections will now be conducted weekly, and, if service improves, monthly.