Munich Airport, French investment firm Meridiam and Austrian construction company Strabag have been jointly awarded the concession to run Bulgaria’s Sofia Airport.
The results of the tender process were announced by Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rosen Zhelyazkov. Launched on July 2, 2019, the tender process attracted a number of major airport operators, including Manchester Airport Group, Fraport and Aéroports de Paris.
Zhelyazkov said, “The offers were extremely strong. Considerable elements were taken into account, not only the financial revenues that will be guaranteed by the concession, but also the development of the airport as the main passenger flow gate to the city of Sofia, the development of the city, and the economy of Bulgaria.”
The concession is a public-private partnership. The role of the state at Sofia Airport will focus on regulation related to airport charges, border protection, border police, and all customs, veterinary and other structures. The role of the concessionaire will be in the development of the airport as an asset and will be linked to the improvement of the service through investment in the infrastructure that will continue to be publicly owned by the state.
