2013-04-12 — /travelprnews.com/ — In summer `2013 Sofia Airport’s schedule provides convenient direct flights to 43 destinations from Sofia to other European capital cities and international airports. 19 airlines operate flights on these destinations, most of the flights being operated on daily basis.
During the period of Summer Schedule 2013, from 31 March to 27 October, it is expected that9 700 passenger aircraft with seat capacity exceeding 1 334 000 will depart from Sofia Airport. The most convenient daily routes provided from Sofia Airport are to Vienna – 35 flights per week operated by two airlines. There are 30 flights per week to the most popular destination of London, the passengers being able to choose between four airports and four air carriers. Flights to the capital city ofGermany – Berlin amount to 18 in the new season, while flights to Rome and Paris amount to 16 per week. Two flights to Frankfurt and Istanbul operated every day of the week provide convenient connection to those airports. Three times a day there are flights to Munich, and 13 flights a week toBrussels. Fast and comfortable flights to Bucharest are provided by two airlines operating 11 flights a week in total. Also there is more than one flight a day to Amsterdam, Moscow, Madrid and Milan.
On 26 June 2013, Sofia Airport will celebrate the first flight of the Spanish airline – Vueling penetrating Bulgarian market with the operation of scheduled flights to Barcelona on Mondays and Thursdays. It will become the third low cost air carrier operating at Sofia Airport Terminal 1.
As of 6 June direct flights to Kiev will be restored. This destination increased its popularity in the last years. The Kiev/Zhulyany – Sofia route will be operated by Wizz Air Ukraine three times a week, providing convenient flight schedule.
Since the beginning of summer schedule flights to Venice – Treviso are discontinued.
New proposals for summer 2013 are as follows:
|
New Destinations |
Airline |
Terminal |
Frequency |
|
Berlin/Schoenefeld |
easyJet (EZY) |
1 |
3 flights/week |
|
London/Stansted |
easyJet (EZY) |
1 |
2 flights/week |
|
Kiev/ Zhulyany |
Wizz Air (WU) |
1 |
3 flights/week |
|
Additional frequencies |
|
|
|
|
Barcelona |
Vueling (VLG) |
1 |
+2 flights/week |
|
Barcelona |
Bulgaria Air (FB) |
2 |
+1 flight/week |
|
Berlin/Tegel |
Air Berlin (AB) |
2 |
+7 flights/week |
|
Istanbul |
Turkish Airlines (TK) |
2 |
+3 flights/week |
|
Amsterdam |
Bulgaria Air (FB) |
2 |
+2 flights/week |
|
London/Heathrow |
Bulgaria Air (FB) |
2 |
+2 flights/week |
|
Larnaca |
Wizz Air (W6) |
1 |
+2 flights/week |
|
Paris/ Beauvais |
Wizz Air (W6) |
1 |
+1 flight/week |
|
Dortmund |
Wizz Air (W6) |
1 |
+1 flight/week |
|
Eindhoven |
Wizz Air (W6) |
1 |
+1 flight/week |
Sofia Airport – March in numbers
The count of landing and departing aircraft at Sofia Airport in March equalled to 3 191, compared to 3 614 for the same period last year (-11,7%). The drop resulted from the discontinued flights of Ukraine’s airline Aerosvit that went into bankruptcy at the end of 2012 as well as from the decreased number of some flights of operating airlines on international and domestic destinations.
Handled passengers in the third month of the year equalled to 273 945, the level of March 2012 being maintained when their number was 273 463. (+0,2%).
251 473 passengers in total traveled on international scheduled flights, which is a 2 % increase compared to March 2012. In March, most airlines reported a slight increase on that basis.
10 080 passengers in total traveled on domestic scheduled flights, 4 800 less compared to the same period last year. The number of tourists travelling on chartered flights increased by 200 –with total count of 11 907 for the period. (+2%).
5,3% Increase on annual basis was achieved regarding processed cargo and mail shipments. Total cargo volume in March 2013 was 1 487 t as compared to 1 414 t last year.
Processed tonnage increased by 17 % in relation to cargo aircraft.
###