Plovdiv International Airport
Encyclopedia
Plovdiv Airport is the airport of the second largest city in Bulgaria
, Plovdiv
. Often referred to as Plovdiv Krumovo
Airport, a small village located 12 km south-east away from the city on the main highway Plovdiv-Asenovgrad
.
Due to its good location, near the famous Bulgarian ski resorts Bansko
and Pamporovo
, the airport is most active during the winter season. The main traffic is charters to and from the United Kingdom
, Ireland
and Russia
. The airport also plays a vital role in case of emergencies and is sometimes used as an alternate for Sofia Airport
, which is almost 150 km away or 1.5 hour drive on the Trakiya motorway
.
On 25 December 2009 the first scheduled destination to Moscow started. This is the first scheduled flight since 1981.
Although the airport is operated by the state-owned Letishte Plovdiv EAD and the runway and the apron are also state-owned; the terminal is partly private. That made the renovation of the terminal very difficult. Today the terminal is 58.08% owned by Alfa Finance Holding (former owner of these shares was the Swiss firm TADO) and the rest of the shares belong to the state-owned "Mezhdunarodno letishte Plovdiv" EAD. The problems in agreement with the private owners of the terminal brought the decision from the state to build new terminal and to extend the apron. The renovation process started at the beginning of 2009, the apron extension for 6 additional aircraft stands is made by Glavbolgarstroy and the new terminal building by local firm.
The new terminal building was officially open on 1 July 2009. The new passenger terminal building has 10 check-in desks and 6 gates. It is designed to handle a capacity of 500,000 passengers a year. The cost are estimated to be €20,000,000.
According to the British consultants from Airport Strategy&Marketing, which were hired to investigate possibilities for developing new routes, there is big interest from low-cost carriers like Ryanair
and Wizz Air Bulgaria
.
, with Eurocopter AS 532, Mil Mi-24
, Mil Mi-17
and Bell 206
units.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
. Often referred to as Plovdiv Krumovo
Krumovo
Krumovo is a village in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. As of 2006 it has 3,378 inhabitants. The village is located at 2 km to the south of the Maritsa river and at 12 km to the south-east of Plovdiv. The Plovdiv International Airport is located in the vicinity of the village...
Airport, a small village located 12 km south-east away from the city on the main highway Plovdiv-Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad
Asenovgrad is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province.-History:Asenovgrad was founded by the Thracians as Stenímachos around 300–400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. After a long period...
.
Due to its good location, near the famous Bulgarian ski resorts Bansko
Bansko
Bansko is a town and a popular ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 925 m above sea level....
and Pamporovo
Pamporovo
Pamporovo is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria, one of the best-known in Southeastern Europe. It is set amongst magnificent pine forests and is primarily visited during the winter for skiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular tourist place in summer. The hub of...
, the airport is most active during the winter season. The main traffic is charters to and from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The airport also plays a vital role in case of emergencies and is sometimes used as an alternate for Sofia Airport
Sofia Airport
Sofia Airport , sometimes also called Letishte Sofia-Vrazhdebna , is the main airport in Sofia, Bulgaria. Located east of central Sofia. In 2010 the number of passengers was 3.3 million...
, which is almost 150 km away or 1.5 hour drive on the Trakiya motorway
Trakiya motorway
The Trakia motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
.
On 25 December 2009 the first scheduled destination to Moscow started. This is the first scheduled flight since 1981.
Reconstruction
The new terminal building was officially open on 1 July 2009. The new passenger terminal building has 10 check-in desks and 6 gates. It is designed to handle a capacity of 500,000 passengers a year. The cost are estimated to be €20,000,000.
According to the British consultants from Airport Strategy&Marketing, which were hired to investigate possibilities for developing new routes, there is big interest from low-cost carriers like Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
and Wizz Air Bulgaria
Wizz Air Bulgaria
Wizz Air Bulgaria was the Bulgarian division of Wizz Air. The Bulgarian company was awarded licences to begin services to Greece, Turkey and Moldova in 2006....
.
Krumovo Air Base
On the west side of the airport is located 24th Helicopter Air Base of the Bulgarian Air ForceBulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
, with Eurocopter AS 532, Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
, Mil Mi-17
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
and Bell 206
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
units.
Aviation Museum Plovdiv
Next to the airbase is the only functional aviation museum in Bulgaria. Opened in 1991 the museum has rich collection of modern, cold war airplanes and such from the Third Bulgarian Kingdom. Due to the low state budget, the collection is preserved mostly by donations. The museum is accessible with car driving towards the airport and is about 100m from railway station "Mavrudovo", working hours for visitors are 9:00-16:00.Scheduled airlines
Charter airlines
Passenger statistics
| Year | Passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 52,702 | |
| 1999 | 38,811 | 26% |
| 2000 | 37,680 | 3% |
| 2001 | 27,627 | 27% |
| 2002 | 26,639 | 4% |
| 2003 | 27,379 | 3% |
| 2004 | 37,760 | 38% |
| 2005 | 66,168 | 75% |
| 2006 | 93,245 | 40% |
| 2007 | 104,130 | 12% |
| 2008 | 61,276 | 41% |
| 2009 | 24,919 | 59.3% |
| 2010 | 26,386 | 5.6% |
See also
- List of airports in Bulgaria
- List of airlines of Bulgaria
- List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic