Bulgaria to tender airport operations

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Bulgaria will launch two international tenders by mid-December for shortlisted companies to manage and renovate Sofia International airport so that construction works can start in the spring, the Transport Ministry said this week.

The government has said there would be two separate tenders, for construction of a new passenger terminal and related facilities and for a new runway. The total value of the whole project is Eur210m ($185m). Further tenders for new infrastructure at Varna and Plovdiv airports will be launched by mid-2002. The government plans for the airports to set up joint ventures with the developers or to grant a management concession.

Deputy Transport Minister, Dimitar Zoev, told the Bulgarian News Digest tender documents had already been approved by the ministry and were now pending approval by the European Commission, as the European Union is a major donor for the project.

"We expect the European Commission approval to come quickly and the tenders to be called by mid-December. Bidders will have three months to present their offers," Zoev said.

Fifteen foreign and local companies and consortia have been shortlisted for bidding in the Sofia passenger terminal tender. The terminal will be situated on 100,000sq m (1.076 m sq ft) with 44 check-in desks and a new concession area. A consortium bidding for the Varna airport project includes Copenhagen Airports, BIAC of Brussels, Arup Engineering and financing partners. An Israeli firm Ashtrom has registered interest in Plovdiv airport, according to the Transport Ministry.