Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The last check of the new runway technical condition will be carried out tomorrow, August 30, 2006 at 15.00 o’clock on the governmental VIP-Hall of Sofia Airport. The examination includes a flight over the flying field and the radiolocation vectoring zone. 12 hours later, at 3 am, the runway will be put into operation officially. The first flight will be accomplished with an airplane of our national carrier Bulgaria Air, on the destination   Sofia – Varna.

The Premier Minister Sergey Stanishev, the Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev, the director-executive of “Sofia Airport” Ltd Plamen Stanchev, the Director-General of State Enterprise ATC, Zvetan Dilov, the Director-Executive of the firma “Mohamed Abdulmohsin Al-Karafi and Sons” Mohsen Kamel, the joint venture project head “Mack Admack” Philip Nell, resident engineer of the consortium “Kovi-Keo-Strol” Skoeld Danerfoerd will attend the final examination.

Lot B2 – the new runway system and the concomitant works are part of the project “Reconstruction, development, and extension of Sofia Airport”. The goal of the project is to increase the capacity of the airport and its development, in order to meet the growing passengers- and cargo stream, as well to achieve servicing safety and comfort. It is expected that the project will strengthen the airport competitiveness in the Balkan region, as well to support the development of the Bulgarian economy.

The finished complex from the building “Reconstruction development and extension of Sofia Airport: Lot B2 – new runway system and concomitant works” allows the safety usage of the new runway for taking off and landing, as well of the equipments. The completing of the remaining construction and installation works, according with the graphic for their implementation, now will be done in the circumstances of a normal operating airport.

The remaining part of the construction works, as expected, will be finished until November 3, 2006 and will be put into operation in December.

The new runway system, as foreseen, will cover 20 airplane movements per hour and 2200 passengers in the peak days.

The transference of the begin of the new runway for taking of and landing eastwards, toward the existent one, will lead to a considerable decrease of the number of citizens affected by a noise above the standards, caused by the Sofia airport airplane operation.

 For additional information:
Kostadin Vardev, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport
Phone: 940 96 20
E-Mail: kvardev@mt.government.bg