May 15 (SeeNews) - Germany-based Lufthansa Group awarded Swissport Bulgaria, a subsidiary of Swissport International, a contract for airport ground services at Sofia Airport, the Swiss aviation services company said.
The contract means that Swissport Bulgaria will provide passenger services and ramp handling at Sofia Airport for three airlines of the Lufthansa Group, namely Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, Swissport said in a press release on Friday. Further details of the contract were not provided.
Since 2010, Swissport in Bulgaria has been in charge of lounge hospitality services at the capital's airport for several airlines in the Lufthansa Group.
The extended contract will now involve Swissport Bulgaria also looking after check-in, ticketing, ramp, aircraft cleaning and de-icing for the three airlines, in addition to continuing to offer lounge hospitality for their passengers, thus securing one of its largest contracts.
Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss International Air Lines will operate an average of ten flights per day between Sofia and cities across Europe, Swissport said, adding that it has already launched a recruitment campaign in Bulgaria in preparation for a busy summer period.
In addition to Sofia, the Swiss company's Bulgarian unit, which has over 300 staff, also operates at Bulgaria's two coastal airports, Burgas and Varna, which are run by German-Bulgarian company Fraport Twin Star Airport Management. In 2022, Swissport in Bulgaria served over 1.5 million passengers and handled more than 20,000 aircraft take-offs and landings.
Swissport Bulgaria is a joint venture between Swissport International and Bulgarian Airways Group, which owned a 49% stake as of end-March.