New standards for ground handling at Sofia Airport "Vasil Levski" are being introduced.

Effective from June 23, 2025, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (GDCA) temporarily revokes the license of "Swissport Bulgaria" AD to provide ground handling services at "Vasil Levski" Airport in Sofia. The measure will be in effect for up to two months or until the identified discrepancies are fully resolved, announced Anelia Marinova, the Director General of GDCA.

The order will come into force after a 14-day period, to allow the airlines working with "Swissport Bulgaria" to reorganize the handling of their passengers. At a working meeting between GDCA and representatives of ground handlers, measures for a smooth transition were discussed. Meanwhile, the minimum quality standards, previously published on the GDCA website, have now been signed by all ground handlers.

The passenger service standards will be subject to constant monitoring and control by the airport operator, who will notify GDCA of any violations to take immediate action. Inspections at the capital's airport will continue weekly, and at the airports in Varna and Burgas - once a month. A mechanism for monitoring passenger satisfaction will also be introduced.

Additionally, from today, a Special Operational Procedure for boarding and disembarking passengers at "Vasil Levski" Airport Sofia comes into effect. It eliminates the practice of transferring passengers from non-EU countries through the sleeve and then by bus to border control. Instead, disembarkation will be directly to buses, and the aircraft will be redirected to use the sleeve for departing flights. The implementation of the new procedure will be verified in the coming days.