Bulgaria's Airports Handled Almost 7M Passengers in 2013

Airports in Bulgaria have handled a record number of almost 7 M international flight passengers in 2013 which is a 4% growth compared to previous year.

However, the industry still has many problems that need solving, according to Bulgarian Airline Association head Svetoslav Stanulov.

In 2013, Bulgarian airlines handled more than 2 million passengers, which is a nearly 6 percent annual increase.

Foreign airlines were preferred by almost 5 million passengers, an increase of over 3% compared to 2012.

Bulgaria's airline industry insists on recognizing the single entry Schengen visa. Due to violation of regulations regarding the single entry visa, Bulgarian airlines have been fined over BGN 400,000.

Another major problem pointed out by the industry is that by 2017 there may be a shortage of pilots because of the costly training.