Burgas Airport
| Burgas Airport Летище Бургас | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| IATA: BOJ – ICAO: LBBG | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Fraport | ||||||||||
| Operator | Fraport Twin Star Airport Management | ||||||||||
| Serves | Burgas, Bulgaria | ||||||||||
| Location | Burgas, Bulgaria | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 41 m / 135 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°34′13″N 027°30′55″E / 42.57028°N 27.51528°ECoordinates: 42°34′13″N 027°30′55″E / 42.57028°N 27.51528°E | ||||||||||
| Website | burgas-airport.com | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  BOJ Location of airport in Bulgaria | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Statistics (2015) | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
|
Source: Belgian AIP at EUROCONTROL | |||||||||||
Burgas Airport (IATA: BOJ, ICAO: LBBG), (Bulgarian: Летище Бургас, Letishte Burgas) is an international airport in southeast Bulgaria and the second largest airport in the country. The airport is located near to the north neighbourhood of Burgas, Sarafovo almost 10 kilometres from the city centre. The airport serves Burgas and seaside resorts of Bulgarian south coast and is a major destination during the European summer leisure season. In 2014, the airport handled 2,522,319 passengers, a 2.0% increase compared to 2013.
History
Early years
On 27 June 1937 the French company CIDNA (now part of Air France), chose the area of Burgas Airport to build a radio station and signed a contract with the Bulgarian government for its use. The contract expressly stated that the staff of Burgas Airport would be Bulgarian.
On 29 June 1947, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines began domestic flights between Burgas, Plovdiv and Sofia, using Junkers Ju 52/3m aircraft. In the 1950s and 1960s the airport was expanded and modernized by building a concrete runway. In 1970, the airport became an international airport serving 45 destinations.[1]
Development since the 2000s
Burgas airport has been subject to heavy traffic following the growing tourism industry in Bulgaria and was in need of major investments to expand and handle projected passenger traffic. In June 2006, the Bulgarian Government awarded Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide a 35-year-long concession on both Varna and Burgas airports in return for investments exceeding €500 million.
Fraport entered into partnership with Varna-based company BM Star. The concessionaire has vowed to inject 403 million Euro in the two airports during the lifespan of the arrangement. Fraport will pay 60% of an investment of EUR 403 million over the 35-year concession. The investments will be made in new terminal facilities, vehicles and equipment and expanding apron areas at the airports over the life of the concession
On 18 July 2012 a bomb exploded on a passenger bus transporting Israeli tourists at the Burgas Airport. The explosion killed seven people and injured thirty-two (see 2012 Burgas bus bombing).
Facilities
Terminals
In December 2011 construction work began on the new Terminal 2. The new terminal was planned to have a capacity of 2,700,000 passengers and an area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft). The new terminal building was designed so that it can be easily upgraded to further increase capacity, if necessary. Construction of the new terminal was completed in 2013, and has been operational since December 2013.[2]
Terminal 2 replaced the older Terminal 1, which was built in the 1950s and expanded in the early 1990s, and now handles all of the airport's passenger traffic. The terminal is equipped with 31 check-in counters, three boarding-card checkpoints, nine security lanes and eight departure gates. The arrivals area (divided into Schengen and non-Schengen zones) has 12 immigration stations and four baggage carousels (one 120 metres (390 ft) long and three 70 metres (230 ft) long carousels). Passenger amenities include 800 square metres (8,600 sq ft) of space dedicated to shopping and 1,220 square metres (13,100 sq ft) for food and beverage (F&B) services. There is also a 550 square metres (5,900 sq ft) outdoor courtyard.
Runway
At 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), Burgas Airport has the fourth longest runway in the Balkans, after Athens Airport, Sofia Airport and Belgrade Airport.
In 31 October 2016 begins reconstruction and rehabilitation of taxiways at Burgas airport. The project includes a complete rehabilitation of 3,500 square meters of taxiway "H", complete rehabilitation of taxiway "A", as well as area adjacent to the runway holding point. During this period also the replacement of the control and monitoring system for airfield lighting and approach light equipment will be completed. The total investment of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management in these projects is over BGN 12 million.[3][4]
Airlines and destinations
There are domestic and international flights to about 126 destinations in 31 countries, by more than 69 Bulgarian and foreign airlines (season 2016). The busiest season for the airport is from the end of April to the beginning of October.
From 31 October 2016 to 30 December 2016 Burgas Airport will be closed for reconstruction of runway.
Scheduled flights
Charter flights
This list includes airlines and destinations which will operated charter flights to and from Burgas airport for summer 2016.
Statistics
| Year | Domestic passenger |
Change | International passenger |
Change | Total | Change | Aircraft movements |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | |
|
|
|
||||
| 1999 | |
 8% |
|
22% |
|
21.6% |
|
6.1% |
| 2000 | |
39.2% |
|
 19.9% |
|
17.3% |
|
8.7% |
| 2001 | |
77.8% |
|
52.3% |
|
49.3% |
|
7.8% |
| 2002 | |
5.6% |
|
29.2% |
|
29.1% |
|
15.6% |
| 2003 | |
1.3% |
|
33.8% |
|
33.7% |
|
24.8% |
| 2004 | |
41.1% |
|
30.8% |
|
30.8% |
|
31.4% |
| 2005 | |
14.8% |
|
16% |
|
16% |
|
10.7% |
| 2006 | |
32.6% |
|
9.9% |
|
9.8% |
|
12.8% |
| 2007 | |
654.4% |
|
12.9% |
|
13.4% |
|
1.8% |
| 2008 | |
32.7% |
|
1.1% |
|
0.8% |
|
1.4% |
| 2009 | |
17.3% |
|
12.3% |
|
12.3% |
|
13.3% |
| 2010 | |
14.6% |
|
11.2% |
|
11.2% |
|
15.2% |
| 2011 | |
445% |
|
21.2% |
|
19% |
|
19% |
| 2012 | |
11% |
|
6.3% |
|
5.7% |
|
11.7% |
| 2013 | |
34.3% |
|
2.5% |
|
4.4% |
|
6.2% |
| 2014 | |
18.3% |
|
2.8% |
|
2.6% |
|
0.8% |
| 2015[10] | |
17% |
|
7.3% |
|
6.7% |
|
4.3% |
| 2016 (01.01-30.11)[12] | |
|
|
|
|
23.1% |
|
17.9% |
Ground transportation
Bus
Line No 15 (Bus-stop: located at the entrance of the airport area).Initial and final bus stops in Burgas – Burgas bus station "South".[13]
Taxi
The Taxi Piazza is located in front of the Arrivals Terminal at Burgas Airport. A taxi ride from Burgas Airport to the city takes approx 15 minutes, depending on the traffic intensity.[14]
Parking
Passengers and guests arriving at Burgas Airport with their personal car can use the commercially available parking lot, located in the immediate vicinity of the main terminal building. The parking lot has 199 car spaces available and is accessible 24 hours a day.[15]
Incidents and accidents
- On 18 July 2012, an attack at Burgas Airport occurred. A suicide bomber boarded a bus which was transporting Israeli citizens to the Bulgarian resort of Sunny Beach located in Burgas, the perpetrator detonated the bomb killing 6 civilians (+ 1 suicide bomber) as well as injuring 32 people. The attack resulted in the closure of Burgas Airport for over 30 hours, resulting in the majority of flights diverting to Varna Airport.[16][17]
See also
- List of airports in Bulgaria
- List of airlines of Bulgaria
- List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic
- 2012 Burgas bus bombing
References
- ↑ (Bulgarian) http://cholakovv.com/bg/projects/followme
- ↑ http://www.airport-world.com/home/general-news/item/3413-new-terminal-at-burgas-airport-opens/
- ↑ Burgas Airport closed operations to the end of 2016
- ↑ Burgas Airport taxiways reconstructions
- ↑ Супруненко, Михаил (22 March 2016). "Полеты из Воронежа в Болгарию начнутся с 16 мая". РИА «Воронеж». Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ↑ http://www.inform.kz/rus/article/2885686
- 1 2 "Bourgas Airport Schedule". Information and Services. Bourgas Airport. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ↑ Enter Air route map and destinations
- ↑ Small Planet Germany begin service to Burgas
- ↑ http://caa.bg/page.php?category=27
- ↑ http://www.fraport.de/content/fraport/de/misc/binaer/investor-relations/verkehrszahlen/2016/verkehrszahlen-dezember-2015/jcr:content.file/verkehrszahlen_2015_dezember.pdf
- ↑ http://www.fraport.de/content/fraport/de/misc/binaer/investor-relations/verkehrszahlen/2016/verkehrszahlen-oktober-2016/jcr:content.file/10-traffic-sheet-2016-oktober_deutsch.pdf
- ↑ http://www.bourgas-airport.com/Portals/0/How%20to%20get%20there%20by%20bus%20BOJ_ENG.pdf
- ↑ http://www.bourgas-airport.com/Portals/0/How%20to%20get%20there%20by%20taxi%20BOJ_ENG.pdf
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
- ↑ http://www.timesofisrael.com/explosion-rocks-israeli-tour-bus-in-bulgaria Attack Ref 1
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/world/europe/explosion-on-bulgaria-tour-bus-kills-at-least-five-israelis.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all Attack Ref 2