The airports in Burgas and Varna reported over 800,000 passengers in August, which was the strongest month of the summer season, the concessionaire “Fraport Twin Star Airport Management” JSC reported.
Burgas Airport recorded an 8% increase in passengers in August compared to the same period last year. 527,000 tourists arrived. 3,344 aircraft were serviced, up by 4%.
Varna Airport recorded a growth of 19% in August, welcoming 304,000 passengers, which, however, was far from the levels of the southern airport. 2,062 aircraft were serviced, up by 16%.
The data show an increase in the number of passengers serviced at both airports, compared to the same month last year, with Burgas Airport servicing more than half a million passengers that month, despite the continued lack of traffic from the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine. Fraport points out that the total for both airports remains below the levels of 2019, before the pandemic.
Poland is the biggest market this year for the airports in Burgas and Varna, ahead of Germany and Great Britain. Flights and passengers from Poland to Burgas Airport are already in first place. Charters are available from most major Polish cities, as there is great interest in the Southern Black Sea Coast – especially Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Pomorie, Sveti Vlas and Sozopol. Followed by travelers from Great Britain and the Czech Republic, Germany falls to the fourth position and Israel is in the fifth place.
At Varna Airport, the first place is still held by Germany, but Poland is close to the leading position. The Czech Republic, Bulgaria and the UK follow (domestic flights between Sofia and Varna on “Bulgaria Air” and “Ryan Air”). This year there are very few British tourists on the Northern Black Sea coast due to the lack of charters. Mainly guests come on the regular lines of low-cost airlines. An interesting trend is that the Czechs have also rediscovered the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and are now in the third place at both of the country’s sea airports.
Dr. Frank Quante, CEO of “Fraport Twin Star Airport Management” AD, announced that the countries with a positive trend for the airports in Burgas and Varna in 2023 were Poland and the Czech Republic.
“We expect an increase in passengers from these countries, even compared to 2019. In the summer of 2023, we have even more routes from Poland to Varna Airport and Burgas Airport,” he commented.
Dr. Frank Quante hopes that the airports in Burgas and Varna will reach the levels of 2019 as early as in 2026.
“We all have to work hard and above all together in the tourism sector to achieve this,” he added. (Novinite/Business World Magazine)
