New statistics show Covid-19 impact on passenger numbers at Bulgarian airports
Official statistics for Bulgaria’s Sofia, Bourgas and Varna airports show the dramatic impact that the Covid-19 crisis has had on passenger numbers, given travel restrictions and flight cancellations.
Figures posted on the website of Sofia Airport show, not unexpectedly, large decreases in passenger numbers every month from March to November.
Bulgaria declared a State of Emergency in mid-March, which lasted for two months and was succeeded by the declaration of a Covid-19 epidemic. Apart from travel restrictions by other countries, Bulgaria has placed restrictions on arrivals in the country.
In March, the decrease in passenger numbers on an annual basis was 52.9 per cent, with a record-low drop in April, by 94.2 per cent. Sofia Airport’s April 2019 passenger total was 598 140, while in April 2020 it was 34 403.
November 2020 alone saw a 76 per cent decrease in passenger numbers, compared with November 2019.
Fraport Group Airport’s seaside Bourgas and Varna airports also have seen very large decreases in passenger numbers.
The group’s website showed that at Bourgas Airport, up to November 2020 there were 421 662 passengers, a decrease of 85.3 per cent on an annual basis. In November this year, the airport handled 1944 passengers, a drop of 81 per cent compared with November 2019.
Varna Airport handled 596 855 passengers between January and November, a decrease of 70.2 per cent compared with the same period last year. In November, there were 21 821 passengers, a drop of 70.3 per cent on an annual basis.
(Photo: Apostoloff)
The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassies of Switzerland and Finland.
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