Sofia Airport

SOF originated in 1941, four years after Tsar Boris III signed a decree declaring land within the Village of Vrazhdebna would be allocated for the construction of an airport. Initial service was by Yugoslav airline Aeroput to Belgrade with Lockheed Model 10 Electra planes. During WWII, the airport was used by the Bulgarian military. Following the war, civilian operations began in 1947, and the passenger terminal (now Terminal 1) debuted that year as well, having been completed during the war but facing several years of delays. It was constructed in the manner of the then-modern European railway terminus designs. By the late 1960s, the terminal had reached capacity, and several extensions and renovations took place starting in 1968. In 1975 a new international arrivals extension opened, the domestic area was enlarged, the government handling area was relocated to a separate dedicated building, a VIP handling area opened in the old terminal, and the apron area was extended while new taxiways opened. In the early 1980s, a new checked baggage handling system opened, with more refurbishments carried out in 1990. In the mid-1990s, a new terminal was completed, along with a new (parallel to the existing) runway and taxiways. In 2000, a substantial landside extension was completed. The international arrivals area was moved to the east wing, the former international arrivals area was closed, and the layout of the central international departures area was changed.
Nonetheless, the airport remained overcrowded. As such, a finance package with European and Kuwaiti investment was put into place, and in 2006 the new Terminal 2, a new runway (capable of handling up to 20 aircraft movements per hour), and taxiways were all completed. On December 5th, 2012, a new 160-foot air traffic control tower was inaugurated. In 2015, the Sofia Airport Metro Station opened adjacent to Terminal 2, extending the Sofia Metro and alleviating some of the crowded rail and coach facilities that travelers from the Bulgarian interior had to endure.

The airport is located 6.2 miles east of the center of Sofia. 

• SOF is also home to the Vrazhdebna Air Base of the Bulgarian Air Force, home to the 16th Transport Squadron.  
• There are a few maintenance bases at SOF, namely Lufthansa Technik Sofia (a cooperation between Lufthansa Technik and the Bulgarian Aviation Group) and Rose Air Technik, a cooperation between Rose Air and Wizz Air. 
• There are plans for a new Terminal 3 to be completed by 2030, while Terminals 1 and 2 are to be redesigned so travelers feel "immersed in Bulgarian culture." Moreover, the VIP terminal is located in the western wing of Terminal 1. 
• The FBOs at SOF are Euro Jet OPS, BAS Bulgarian Aviation Services Ltd., and Right Air.