The Ministry of Transport and Communications will strengthen control over the implementation of the of Sofia Airport concession. According to the concession contract, a joint committee of the Ministry and representatives of the concessionaire must meet every month to regularly monitor the implementation of the contract. This became clear during today's meeting of the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov with the Executive Director of Sofia Airport Jesus Caballero.
‘Since the beginning of the year, the committee has met only twice instead of seven times, indicating a lack of oversight by the Ministry. This is a strategic site for the country in view of our preparations for Schengen accession and the concessionaire is obliged to meet all the requirements for security and border control,’ Minister Gvozdeykov stressed. He added that the conditions at Bulgaria's largest airport are not what people expect and the stated modernization should be accelerated. The Minister of Transport undertook that the state will provide the necessary assistance to the concessionaire for all administrative procedures so that the renovation of Terminal 2 is not delayed.
For his part, Jesus Caballero briefed Minister Gvozdeykov on the investment plans in the capital's airport. The concessionaire foresees to invest BGN 50 million annually in the development of the airport in the next three years. The reconstruction of Terminal 2 will start next year and the work is expected to be completed by 2026. The construction of the new Terminal 3 will start in 2026 and should be completed by 2030. The project envisages doubling passenger check-in counters and increasing security and border control lines. A new more efficient baggage management system is expected to be implemented this year, the company further explained.
