The international airport (BOJ) in Burgas is located in southeastern Bulgaria. This is the second largest airport terminal in the country. It serves Burgas and the sea resorts of the Bulgarian southern coast. Passenger traffic passing through it is growing steadily every year.
History of origin and development
On June 27, 1937, the French company CIDNA (now part of Air France) chose a place in the Burgas area with the intention of building a radio station here. The contract, signed with the Bulgarian government, stipulated that the hired employees would be exclusively Bulgarians. On June 29, 1947, the Balkan Bulgarian Airlines began domestic flights between Burgas, Plovdiv and Sofia.
In 1950-1960, the BOJ airport was expanded and modernized through the construction of a concrete runway. In 1970, the terminal became international, serving 45 destinations.
The growing tourism industry in Bulgaria has led to the need to expand the airport. Investments were made in the construction of a new terminal, the purchase of boards, equipment and the expansion of 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 easily be modernized, 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 is equipped with 31 check-in desks, three checkpoints, nine security lanes and eight gates. The arrival area is divided into Schengen and non-Schengen, has 12 immigration stations and four moving luggage belts (one is 120 meters in length, and three are 70 each).
Passengers are offered an area of 8600 square meters with a post office, a bank, a currency exchange office, restaurants, cafes, bars, VIP Lounge, duty-free food and gift shops, newspaper and tobacco kiosks, travel agencies, car rental, taxi service, first aid station. BOJ is the airport in Bulgaria, which is also equipped with equipment for people with disabilities.
Runway strip
The glide path of the airport in Burgas is 3200 meters. This is the fourth longest runway in the Balkans after Athens, Sofia and Belgrade. On October 31, 2016, the reconstruction of taxiways began. Repair will last until December 30 of this year. The project includes the full rehabilitation of 3,500 square meters, as well as the area adjacent to the point of the runway retention.
In addition, during this period, control and monitoring systems for aerodrome lighting and approach lighting equipment will be replaced. The amount of costs will be more than 1 million dollars.
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 worked here. The largest number of flights were operated by 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, SmartWings, Travel Service, Volga-Dnepr.
The busiest working period at the terminal is traditionally observed from late April to early October. This is due to the holiday season.
Transfer
Like many other airports in the world, BOJ is an airport that has good connections with 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 South Bus Station.
- Taxis can be easily found in the square in front of the terminal. A trip depending on the traffic from Burgas Airport to the city takes about 15 minutes.
- 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 parking lot has 199 places and is available 24 hours a day.