Varna Airport

On 24 December 1919 the first mail-plane from Sofia to Varna landed here, but this airline was functional for only one month. It was not until 1947 that a permanent airline from Varna to Sofia started to operate. The first Junkers 52 aircraft landed at Tihina Airport on 2nd August. Their were said to be only four passengers on this flight, and the total flights that year came to six, with a total of 23 passengers on board. Tihina Airport itself was located in the outskirts of “Asparuhovo” district, to the west of the present-day Asparuhovo Bridge, in the place of the canal. It occupied an area of approximately 1000-15000 decares and its facilities included a hangar and a workshop. Flight directions were quite primitive at that time: stones held an enormous canvas in the form of the letter T (for Tihina) to the runway.

On 9th May 1948 the new airport of Varna was officially opened for business. The first aircraft from Sofia with its official guests on board landed on the aerodrome at 10:40 AM. The flight took 2 and a half hours. As was the case with “Tihina” airport, the aircraft used for that occasion was also a Junkers 52. A couple of wooden cabins were used for administrative needs, technical maintenance and storehouses. The total staff included only 4 people - the head of the department, a wireless operator and two mechanics. Construction work continued throughout the following years. In 1961 a new concrete runway 2500m in length and 24-26 cm in thickness was ready for use. A light-signaling system was also constructed there thus making night-flights much easier. In 1967 the stopping place was widened and 4 new tracks were built. Meanwhile radiolocation and radio navigation equipment was installed. The first AR1 survey locator was imported from England. After 1996 a TRAC VIEW-220 multi-radar flight control system was added to the airport facilities.

On 25th September 1972 a new airport reception building started functioning. It was designed by “Transproject Co.”, Sofia and consisted of three wings: Administrative and Technical Department, Domestic Lines, International Lines, as well as a big parking lot outside the building. The second storey of the Domestic Lines wing hosts a 130-seat restaurant, and duty free shops and currency shops can be found in the international terminal. Bigger airplanes and heavier traffic led to the necessity of thickening the runway in 1974. The following year central heating facilities, fire precaution depot and a pumping station were completed.Taking into consideration the considerable flow of passengers and load, as well as the greater expectations for the role of Varna airport in the overall development of the region, a new general plan has been developed for the complex over the last couple of years. It provides for modernization of both the International Terminal and the Domestic Lines Terminal. Major changes will affect transportation and heavy load handling - lengthening of the existing runway; construction of a new landing strip for heavy load aircraft; heavy load truck parking lot; storehouses; loading terminal.