The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the financial sustainability of Sofia Airport by investing in the first bond issue of SOF Connect AD, the airport operator. The bank has subscribed a total of EUR 50 million through two senior bonds issued by SOF Connect, as part of a EUR 450 million financing package that includes refinancing bonds, CAPEX bonds and a CAPEX loan. The bonds are listed on Euronext Dublin, which is the first issuance of this type of debt instrument by a Bulgarian entity. SOF Connect has been operating Sofia Airport since 2021 under a long-term concession agreement. This is the largest concession in the country’s transport sector and the first major public-private partnership undertaken in more than two decades. SOF Connect is owned by French infrastructure investor Meridiam, an asset manager specializing in the development, financing and management of infrastructure public-private partnerships, and an existing client of the EBRD. The Bank has a long history of helping to structure public-private partnerships in its economies. It supported the Bulgarian government in the concession process for Sofia Airport in 2020, contributed to the debt package in 2021 and later acquired an indirect equity stake. As a major institutional investor in Bulgaria, the EBRD has invested over ˆ5 billion in 320 projects to date.
Source: Banker (19.05.2026)

Sofia Airport concessionaire SOF Connect won the tender for the management of the capital's airport with one main commitment - to build a new Terminal 3. Its construction should begin within a few months and should be operational by April 19, 2031. The goal is to increase the annual passenger service capacity from 7 to 20 million. SOF Connect entered the airport operationally five years ago. The investment for the entire concession period of 35 years should reach 600 million euros. Now SOF Connect has also reached the financial part of the task, organizing financing for about 450 million euros. The resource was raised through a combination of bank loans and a bond issue with a 22-year maturity. The bonds for 180 million euros are listed on Euronext Dublin, and the financing will be used in three tranches until 2031. The first one has now been taken - the bond, which covers old liabilities. Then, apparently, the bank loans will also be used, which will be mainly for the new terminal and the renovation of the current Terminal 2. 11 international financial groups are participating in the financing, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - EBRD, Allianz Group, Alpha Bank, M&G Investment, National Bank of Greece, Unicredit Bulbank, etc. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced that they have subscribed a total of 50 million euros in two issues of senior bonds issued by SOF Connect, as part of the financial package of 450 million euros. "SOF Connect" is owned by the French infrastructure investor Meridiam, a management company specializing in the development, financing and management of infrastructure public-private partnerships and an existing client of the EBRD. The bank is also a minority shareholder in the airport through its participation in Meridiam investment structures. In April, a slight change in the ownership structure of SOF Connect took place and the company is now solely owned by Meridiam Eastern Europe Investments SAS, while previously two other companies of the group - Meridiam Infrastructure Europe III S.L.P and Meridiam Investments SAS - each held 0.01%. London-based M&G also invested EUR 70 million in SOF Connect. M&G is one of the largest investors in airport debt with around GBP 1.1 billion in debt held in airport operators worldwide. The funds will be used for refinancing and investments. The secured bonds are worth 180 million euros with a yield of 5.502% and mature in 2048. The bonds bear interest from May 12, 2026. The company's financial liabilities at the end of 2025 show bank loans of 340 million leva (174 million euros). Among the creditors are EBRD, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, Kommunalkredit Austria AG, Societe Generale, Unicredit Bulbank, DSK Bank. "SOF connect" fulfilled its commitments under the first five-year investment plan (2021 - 2025) with investments in the amount of over 91.5 million euros. The investments included the construction of new open-air parking lots, major renovation of the Terminal 2 multi-storey car park, airport rehabilitation activities, modernization of the fuel fleet, ongoing works related to the replacement of the Terminal 2 baggage handling system, new retail outlets and upgrading of information and communication systems and infrastructure. In the next five years, under the second five-year plan, the minimum commitment is for 183.1 million euros of investments for the period 2026 - 2030. Terminal 3 was announced to cost 230 million euros, with an additional 25 million euros planned for equipment. The technical design for Terminal 3 has already been prepared, and the construction permit is expected to be issued in the summer of 2026.
Source: Capital (26.05.2026)

The wrong actions and inactions of ministers are costing taxpayers dearly. Another case is a dispute between "Hemus Air" from the TIM group and the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTS) for 20 acres at Sofia Airport. The dispute has already been resolved in court - in favor of the air carrier, which will receive nearly 12 million euros from the budget. The amount was allocated at a meeting of the Radev cabinet. In 1994, the carrier "Hemus Air" received from the state the right to use 20 acres of land at Sofia Airport free of charge (for a period of 30 years). Meanwhile, in 2020-2021, the procedure for the concession of the airport is completed. The Ministry of Transport, then led by Rosen Zhelyazkov, "overslept" on the fact that there were areas that should be excluded from the concession, because "Hemus Air" had the right to use them until 2024. And when at the end of April 2021 the "Sof Connect" consortium took over the management of the airport, it also received the areas in question. Days earlier, in early April, "Hemus Air" concluded a lease agreement with another company from the TIM group - "Bulgaria Air Maintenance". After realizing that the acres were already part of the concession and had no access to them, the tenant quickly withdrew from the contract. In 2023, "Hemus Air" filed a lawsuit for property damages - lost profits from the failed lease agreement. And it won - the Supreme Administrative Court ordered the state to pay the airline over 16 million leva in principal. If it had access to the land, Hemus Air would have received 16.27 million leva under the lease agreement, the court found. The compensation also includes the statutory interest until the payment of the amount. Thus, the inaction of the Borisov cabinet in 2021 on this specific case costs 12 million euros per 2026 budget.
Source: Sega (21.08.2026)

Ground operators are the companies responsible for passenger check-in, baggage handling, final gate passage, aircraft servicing such as loading and unloading baggage, pushing, de-icing (the process of removing or thawing snow), etc. For this purpose, they conclude contracts with various airlines. As of this year, there is a new company at Sofia Airport - "Aviapartner Bulgaria", owned by the Belgian Aviation Ground Handling Services, with Bulgaria now included in the Aviapartner group of locations, specialized in the activity and founded in 1949. Sofia Airport, represented by the concessionaire "SOF Connect", has practically exited its ground handling business (it was one of the three operators to date with a 17% market share in ground handling according to the company's latest report). And the airline clients and employees have been transferred to the new player. Aviapartner's clients include British Airways, Israeli EL AL and Israir, Polish Enter Air, Ukrainian Wind Rose, Turkish Pegasus Airlines and Onur Air, German Eurowings, Bulgarian European Air Charter and VBB (Alk), as well as SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. For clients, the player will compete with the other two operators - Swissport Bulgaria (51% of the Swiss company of the same name and 49% of the Chimimport group) and the Greek-based company Goldair Handling. Aviapartner Bulgaria includes ground handling, an airline ticket sales agency, bus transport between terminals, activities related to passengers with reduced mobility (PRM), and a number of other services. Aviapartner Bulgaria now has a staff of about 200 people, approximately 70% women and 30% men. The sole owner of Aviapartner Bulgaria's capital is Aviation Ground Handling Services, Belgium. In November 2024, Aviation Ground Handling Services CA was attracted as an investor in Omega Aviation. It now bears the name "AviaVIP Bulgaria", with the Belgian company having 60% and the remaining 40% belonging to Tony Totov, which is the business aviation brand. On January 23, 2026, "Aviapartner Bulgaria" received a license for ground handling at "Vasil Levski" Airport - Sofia. "Aviapartner" has been developing steadily since its establishment in 1949 and today we are present in the six largest markets in the European Union, which together represent over 70% of the total EU-27 market. AviaVIP is "Aviapartner's" business aviation brand. Aviapartner is a Belgian company with headquarters near Brussels Airport. It is one of the independent providers of such services in Europe and operates at 78 airports in Europe and Africa. It was founded in 1949. To date, it has operations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Estonia, Angola and South Africa. It employs over 18,000 people and serves more than 120 million passengers annually. The company offers a wide range of services to over 500 passenger and cargo airlines. Globally, the company provides ramp service for around 800,000 aircraft movements annually, handles approximately 300,000 tons of air cargo and operates airport business lounges at 7 European airports. AviaVIP is a member of the Aviapartner Group and operates one of the largest networks of this type of business in Europe, with 66 locations. The latest report on the activities of "SOF connect" shows that in ground operations the company had 17.3% of the market, with the other two having a much more serious presence. Swissport Bulgaria's clients are Bulgaria Air, Air Serbia, Corendon Airlines; Qatar Airways (at least until recently), Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss - LX. Swissport, based in Switzerland, has been operating at Sofia Airport since 2007. In 2013, Chimimport, through its aviation division Bulgarian Airways Group, bought a minority stake in Swissport Bulgaria. Goldair Handling serves the low-cost major clients Easy Jet, Wizz Air and Ryanair, as well as Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot, Olympic Air, LOT, TAROM, Fly Dubai and BH Air.
Source: Capital (24.08.2026)

Sofia Airport operator SOF Connect and the world leader in luxury aviation services Jetex have signed an agreement for the development and management of the VIP lounge at the capital’s airport. This partnership marks Jetex’s entry into the Eastern European market and is part of the strategy to transform Sofia into a modern regional aviation hub, the company announced. The new VIP lounge, called Jetex Sofia, will be located in the west wing of Terminal 1. It will have a separate entrance and elegantly furnished lounges that will offer passengers the brand’s distinctive hospitality and high level of service. Jetex Sofia is expected to welcome over 30,000 passengers in 2027, with the goal of providing them with an experience comparable to flying on a private jet. The services will be tailored to the individual needs of customers and will include: Personalized service, Access for private aviation passengers and Premium services for scheduled airline travelers. Jetex operates a global network of over 40 private terminals in key destinations around the world, including cities such as Paris, London, Istanbul, Milan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Marrakech and Singapore.
Source: Darik Radio (25.08.2026)

21 tourism companies, municipalities and organizations have applied to participate in the international tourism exhibition WTM London 2026, which will be held in the period 3-5 November 2026 at the ExCeL London exhibition center, the Ministry of Tourism announced. Our country will be represented with a national stand with an area of ??399 sq. m. Within the framework of the national presentation, the diverse opportunities for tourism in Bulgaria will be promoted, with an emphasis on sea and winter tourism, cultural and educational, balneo, SPA and wellness, adventure, wine and culinary tourism, as well as the rich cultural and historical heritage, natural resources and opportunities for year-round tourist experiences. Currently, the following companies have confirmed their participation at the national stand: Avatar Tour Ltd., Aitawr Development EAD /Sofia Marriott Hotel/, Balkan Pro Travel Ltd., Bohemia Ltd., Boyana-MG Ltd. – Sofia, Inter Holiday Service Ltd., Club Magellan Ltd., Quendoo Ltd., Belogradchik Municipality, Varna Municipality, Plovdiv Municipality, Samokov Municipality, Municipal Enterprise "Tourism", Sofia Municipality, P Group Plovdiv Ltd., Rila Travel Ltd., Rual Travel Ltd., Sandrose Holidays Ltd., City Hotel Management Ltd., SOF Connect Ltd., Tandem Travel Ltd. and Tsarevgrad Tarnov Ltd. A total of 5 tourism companies, municipalities and organizations have confirmed their participation at the information stand for the international tourism exhibition ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET, which will be held in the period 14–17 September 2026. These are Bohemia Ltd., M.B.S. Trade AD, Orange Tour OOD, Sirma Group AD, Sofia Municipality, Municipal Enterprise "Tourism". From September 15 to 17, 2026, the international tourism exhibition IFTM Top Resa will be held in Paris, and 7 tourism companies, municipalities and organizations have confirmed participation in the information stand: Balkan Pro Travel EOOD, Balkania Tour OOD, Bohemia OOD, Enjoy Prime Tours EOOD, Varna Municipality, Rual Travel OOD, Sofia Municipality, Municipal Enterprise "Tourism".
Source: Company information (26.08.2026)

The official opening ceremony of the New Baggage Handling System at Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport “Vasil Levski” will be on September 2, 2026. The system represents a key stage in the modernization of the airport and its technological development. Implemented with the most advanced technologies of Alstef and Leidos, it increases the capacity for processing checked baggage from 400 to 3,200 pieces of baggage per hour and is designed to serve the airport’s future capacity of 20 million passengers per year after the construction of Terminal 3 in 2031. and the modernization of Terminal 2. Its commissioning will have an immediate positive effect on the activities of ground operators, airlines and, above all, passengers. SOF Connect’s total investment in the project amounts to 15 million euros and is part of the long-term strategy for transforming Sofia Airport “Vasil Levski” into a modern regional aviation hub.
Source: Company information (01.09.2026)

The capital's airport has begun construction of its own photovoltaic power plant SOF Connect has begun construction of a 5 MW photovoltaic power plant at Sofia Airport. The facility is being built on airport-owned land and will generate electricity for internal consumption. The plant will feature 8,300 solar modules covering an area of ??approximately 50,000 square meters and will include a real-time monitoring and control system. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, with a battery storage system planned for a subsequent phase. Hydroenergiyna Kompaniya AD is the project contractor. The airport is the first in Bulgaria to achieve Level 4 ("Transformation") accreditation under the international Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program.
Source: econ.bg (11.09.2026)

Sofia Airport handled a record number of passengers in August 2026, according to data from the concessionaire SOF Connect. During the busiest month of the summer season, 853,233 passengers passed through the airport's terminals—the highest monthly figure recorded since 2019. It was the best month in the airport's recent history. By comparison, 766,901 passengers were handled in August 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 86,332 people, or approximately 11.3%. The growth is even more pronounced when compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when the airport handled 674,443 passengers in August; thus, August 2026 saw nearly 179,000 more passengers—an increase of about 26.5% over 2019 levels. From January through August 2026, 5.96 million passengers passed through the capital's airport. During the same period in 2025, the figure was approximately 5.51 million, marking an 8.1% annual increase. Aircraft movements totaled 47,217 for the first eight months of 2026, compared to 45,182 in the same period of 2025 and 41,258 in 2019. This represents a year-on-year growth of approximately 4.5% and an increase of over 14% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The growth in passenger traffic is outpacing the growth in the number of aircraft movements. In August 2026, for instance, there was an average of approximately 133 passengers per aircraft movement, compared to around 125 a year earlier. This indicates that the rise in passenger traffic is not solely attributable to an increase in the number of flights; the data also reflects a higher average load factor for aircraft movements. Data for 2025 reveals the busiest international routes from Sofia. London is the clear leader, with 357,674 departing passengers from "Vasil Levski" Airport, followed by Vienna (216,000), Istanbul (204,349), and Frankfurt (173,638). Milan, Tel Aviv, Rome, Munich, Barcelona, ??and Varna also feature in the top 10. The growth in passenger traffic holds direct economic significance for the capital's airport, which is managed by the concessionaire SOF Connect. The concessionaire assumed management of the airport in April 2021 for a 35-year term. Subsequently, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government negotiated a deferral for a portion of the concession payments, thereby postponing the fixed annual concession fee for a specific period. As early as 2025, the Ministry of Transport and Communications insisted that the Sofia Airport concessionaire begin paying the full concession fee starting January 1, 2026, given that the passenger volume of 8.4 million in 2025 significantly exceeded the pre-pandemic figure of 7.1 million recorded in 2019. Nevertheless, the concessionaire continues to benefit from the 10-year payment deferral approved by the "Borisov 3" cabinet. This issue is particularly relevant in light of current traffic data. Throughout 2025, the capital's airport handled over 8.4 million passengers—well above the 7.1 million seen in 2019. Thus, in 2026, Sofia Airport continues to set new passenger traffic records, even as the state anticipates the resumption of concession payments.
Source: money.bg (15.09.2026)