‘A few days before Sofia Airport becomes an open door to the Schengen area, an automatic boarding pass checking system is introduced. This is very important in view of the approaching holidays and the summer season, when the number of travellers is growing,’ Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova said at the opening of the new smart counters at Terminal 2.
With the abolition of passport control for air travel within almost all of Europe from 31 March and with the new electronic counters, travellers to and from Sofia airport will spend less time waiting at airport checks, Deputy Minister Natova said.
In her words, the implementation of the commitments of the concessionaire of Sofia Airport is periodically discussed at a joint committee in the Ministry of Transport and Communications. ‘We followed with special attention the preparations of Sofia Airport for the accession of our country to Schengen and the implementation of the requirements. In parallel, we are assisting the concessionaire in the administrative procedures related to the modernization of the airport. We expect the results to be visible and measurable in improved passenger comfort and expanded capacity at Sofia Airport,’ she added.
SOF Connect CEO Jesús Caballero explained that the new smart system enables three times faster passenger throughput. One of the counters is designed for people with reduced mobility. The software reads regular boarding passes, which can be electronic or paper.
