Sofia Airport to Launch Overhaul of Terminal 1

Sofia Airport, Bulgaria's largest international airport, is preparing the technical proposal for a small-scale public procurement for the overhaul of Terminal 1, the company announced.

Under the overhaul plan, sections with damaged stucco coating and plaster cornices will be repaired, together with an overall repainting of the walls and the ceiling in the building.

The floorings of the "Departures" and "Arrivals" public zones will be replaced.

The repainting of the walls is already underway, with the murals on the suspended ceiling to be replaced.

In order not to disturb the normall process of passenger service and not to disrupt the convenience of visitors, the repair works will be carried out according to schedule.

This will be the first overhaul of Sofia Airport in 11 years.

Bulgaria plans to grant Sofia Airport under concession, with major international transport companies showing interest in the deal, according to an announcement of the Transport Ministry from the end of last month.

The largest Bulgarian airport will most likely be in private hands at the beginning of 2012.

At present, Terminal 1 has a capacity of 1.8 million passengers per year, while Terminal 2 built in 2006, has a capacity of 2.6 million passengers per year.

According to Nikolay Kabakchiev, deputy director of the airport, the total capacity will be reached within 3-4 years since at present the Sofia International Airport gets about 3.5 million passengers per year.