Burgas Airport’s concessionaire will invest another 50 million euros in the facility

An additional 50 million euros will be invested in Burgas Airport by the end of 2026. This was announced by Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD, the concessionaire of the facility. The larger part of this sum is intended for the complete rehabilitation of the runway, which is provided for in the concession agreement and the master plan, and its postponement would lead to an unacceptable safety risk, according to the company.

In order to minimize the impact on the summer tourist season, the construction activities are planned entirely for the winter months, from November 2025 to the end of April 2026. This schedule was publicly announced almost a year in advance, with the aim of maximum transparency and timely information to the public and airlines. At Varna Airport, also operated by Fraport, a similar project for the full rehabilitation of the runway was implemented in the winter of 2011/2012 and also included a temporary closure of the airport during the construction activities.

An additional investment in Burgas Airport is the ongoing complete renovation of the infrastructure and retail spaces in its airside section, including an innovative open area with an area of ​​2000 sq. m, designed for more comfortable and hassle-free travel for passengers.

This year, Fraport expects traffic at Burgas Airport to increase by 12%, which is attributed to the expansion of the airport's operations and new routes. Over 2 million passengers are expected in 2025, despite the absence of flights from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, from where over 600 thousand tourists arrived in 2019.

Since 2006, Fraport has invested 111 million euros in improving the airport infrastructure. A new passenger terminal has been built, the existing one has been modernized, the airport apron has been expanded with new electrical and lighting systems, and investments have been made in upping the sustainability factor. As part of the agreement, Fraport has paid over 165 million euros to the Bulgarian state in the form of concession fees and over 19 million euros in corporate taxes.

Fraport says it consistently encourages airlines to extend their schedules and operate flights in the winter. But despite these efforts, only Wizz Air has maintained a year-round route between Burgas and London for 17 years. There were also winter routes to Moscow and Sofia in those years, but they remain rather the exception.

We are actively promoting Burgas Airport to all airlines and offering competitive fees. For winter traffic, we also offer financial support with additional reduced fares. But the decision to operate flights is made by the airlines, not the airport. They are extremely cautious about extending the season due to limited demand," commented Frank Quante, CEO of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD.

"For additional winter flights, airlines expect significant financial support, in addition to low fees. We will continue to include municipalities in discussions and marketing activities with airlines so that all our efforts are visible, both for infrastructure development and traffic."

During the 2024/2025 winter season, the Burgas – Sofia route was resumed with financial support from the municipalities of the Southern Black Sea Coast and Fraport. However, the line struggled to attract passengers, which once again highlights the serious economic challenges facing the maintenance of regular winter flights from Burgas Airport.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov