July 8 (SeeNews) - Sofia Airport welcomed some 3.46 million passengers in the first half of 2019, up from 3.38 million passengers in the same period of last year, the airport operator said.
In June alone, Sofia Airport's passenger traffic edged up by an annual 0.9% to 631,808, airport statistics showed.
Aircraft take-offs and landings at Sofia Airport increased 1.4% year-on-year to 5,482 in June. Cargo handled at the airport grew 19.7% to 2,238 t. in June.
In April, Bulgaria's transport ministry said that its tender for awarding a 35-year concession contract to run Sofia Airport has attracted five offers.
The bids were tabled by Germany's Fraport, and four consortia led by Britain's Manchester Airport Group Overseas Investments Limited (MAG), Swiss-based SSB Sauerwein & Schaefer Bau, and two French companies - Meridiam Eastern Europe Investments and Aeroports de Paris.
The Aeroports de Paris-led consortium offered the highest annual concession fee - of some 32.8 million euro ($36.7 million), while the MAG-led tie-up proposed the most investments - 1 billion euro.
($ = 0.8932 euro)