The international airport (BOJ) in Burgas is located in southeastern Bulgaria. This is the second largest airport in the country. It serves Burgas and the seaside resorts of the Bulgarian south coast. Passenger traffic passing through it is steadily growing every year.
History of emergence and development
On June 27, 1937, the French company CIDNA (now part of Air France) chose a site near the city of Burgas with the intention of building a radio station there. The contract signed with the Bulgarian government stipulated that only Bulgarians would be hired employees. On June 29, 1947, Bulgarian Balkan Airlines began domestic flights between Burgas, Plovdiv and Sofia.
In the 1950s and 1960s, BOJ Airport was expanded and modernized with the construction of a concrete runway. In 1970, the airport became an international terminal serving 45 destinations.
The growing tourism industry in Bulgaria has led toa need to expand the airport. Investments were made in the construction of a new terminal, the purchase of boards, equipment and an increase in the apron area. In December 2011, BOJ Airport began work on the construction of Terminal 2.
It was planned to have a capacity of 2, 700, 000 passengers and an area of 220,000 square meters. The building was designed in such a way that it could be easily upgraded, further increasing capacity, if necessary. The construction was completed in December 2013. Terminal 2 replaced the older Terminal 1 built in the 1950s and expanded in the early 1990s.
Terminal-2
The terminal has 31 check-in desks, three security checkpoints, nine security lanes and eight boarding gates. The arrivals area is divided into Schengen and non-Schengen, has 12 immigration stations and four moving baggage belts (one is 120 meters long and three are 70 meters each).
Passengers are offered an area of 8600 square meters, which has a post office, bank, currency exchange office, restaurants, cafes, bars, VIP Lounge, duty-free food and gift shops, newspaper and tobacco kiosks, travel agencies, rental cars, taxi service, first aid station. BOJ is an airport in Bulgaria, which is also equipped for people with disabilities.
Runway
The glide slope of the airport terminal in Burgas is 3200 meters. It is the fourth longestairstrip in the Balkans after Athens, Sofia and Belgrade. On October 31, 2016, the reconstruction of the taxiways began. The repair will last until December 30 of this year. The project includes the complete rehabilitation of 3,500 square meters as well as the area adjacent to the containment runway point.
In addition, during this period, the control and monitoring systems for airfield lighting and approach lighting equipment will be replaced. The cost will be more than $1 million.
Airlines and destinations: who flies and where?
BOJ Airport operates domestic and international flights to 126 destinations in 31 countries. In 2016, 69 Bulgarian and foreign airlines operated here. Aerosvit Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Nove, Air Sofia, Air VIA Bulgarian Airways, Balkan Bulgarian, Belavia, CSA Cargo, Continental Airways, Felix Airways, Finnair, Inter Trans Air, PAL, Rossiya Airlines, SmartLynx Airlines, carried out the largest number of flights. SmartWings, Travel Service, Volga-Dnepr.
The busiest working period at the airport is traditionally observed from the end of April to the beginning of October. This is due to the holiday season.
Transfer
Like many other airports in the world, BOJ is an airport that has good connections to the city. So, you can get to Burgas:
- By bus number 15. The stop is located at the entrance to the terminal. In the city, the end point of the route is the Yug bus station.
- Taxi is availableeasy to find on the square in front of the terminal. The trip from Burgas Airport to the city takes about 15 minutes, depending on traffic.
- Passengers arriving at the airport in their own car can use paid parking. It is located in close proximity to the main terminal building. The car park has 199 spaces and is available 24 hours a day.
