2013-06-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — Sofia Airport: Increase in passenger traffic for May 2013
Passengers
There was an increase of 1.8 % in the count of arriving and departing passengers at SofiaAirport as compared to May 2012. Serviced passengers totalled to 316 975.
The number of passengers on international flights rised by 3 % as compared to the same period last year.
Most passengers flew with easyJet (+57%), Bulgaria Air (+7%), Turkish Airlines (+8%). Also, more passengers chose to fly with Wizz Air, Alitalia, Air Malta, El Al, Aeroflot.
In May the count of passengers on tourist charter flights also increased by 8 %.
Airline Bulgaria Air Charter carried three times more Bulgarian tourists (2 900) as compared to May 2012 due to the holidays at the beginning of the month. The preferred destinations were the Sicilian city of Palermo and the attractive Greek islands of Santorini and Zakynthos.
Foreign charter airlines served 18 % more tourists in comparison to 2012.
Less passengers flew on domestic flights – 15 815 (-11%).
Aircraft Movements
There was a 9,5 % decrease in departing and landing aircraft at Sofia Airport. For the month, they total to 3 662 as compared to 3 934 last year.
The greatest decrease was in the number of domestic flights, while the decrease in international flights as compared to previous months was compensated, to some degree, by the increased frequencies on the routes of Bulgaria Air, as well as by the two new destinations of easyJet from Sofia to London Stansted and Berlin Schönefeld.
In May more charter (+10%) and business (+5%) flights were operated.
Cargo
Total volume of cargo and mail shipments for the previous month 2013 was 1 440 t, the level of last year’s period being maintained the same.
During this summer season, two direct flights from Sofia Airport will be restored that were cancelled some time ago due to companies’ bankruptcy.
Flights to Budapest, from the end of June, four times a week, will be operated by Bulgaria Air, and Wizz Air will operate flights to Kyiv three times a week.
For the first time the Bulgarian market will welcome the Spanish low cost airline of Vueling with scheduled flights to Barcelona from Sofia.
Summer charter chains flights to Antalya will be operated by Bulgaria Air, Turkish Airlines and Sunexpress, and two other Turkish airlines – Pegasus and Onur Air will carry Bulgarian tourists to Bodrum.
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