Swissport in Bulgaria Awarded Ground Handling Services for the Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group has awarded Swissport in Bulgaria with a comprehensive mandate for airport ground services. The contract covers passenger services and ramp handling for three airlines of the group, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, at Sofia International Airport (SOF).

Swissport has been providing lounge hospitality services to several airlines of the Lufthansa Group at Sofia International Airport since 2010. The extended contract includes check-in, ticketing, ramp, cleaning of the aircraft, and deicing, in addition to continued lounge hospitality for the passengers of all three airlines.

“Our successful cooperation with Lufthansa Group in Bulgaria goes back for over ten years. We are thrilled to be a partner of choice and provide a complete range of services at Sofia International Airport,” says Miroslav Petkov, managing director Swissport Bulgaria. “The recognized quality of assistance our skilled and motivated teams deliver day in, and day out was key for winning Lufthansa’s business. We are proud to make it happen for them between landing and take-off.”

Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss International Air Lines will operate an average of ten flights per day between Bulgaria’s capital and cities across Europe, making it one of the largest customers for Swissport in Bulgaria. The company operates at three airports in Bulgaria: next to Sofia International Airport (SOF) Swissport is also present at Burgas Airport (BOJ) and at Varna Airport (VAR). With a team of over 300 highly experienced staff members, Swissport provides complete airport ground services, including check-in and gate, ticketing, passenger transport, passenger steps, loading and unloading, cleaning, and de-icing at all three airports. In Sofia, the offering also includes executive aviation services and lounge hospitality. In 2022, Swissport in Bulgaria served over 1.5 million passengers and handled more than 20,000 aircraft movements. 

As part of operational readiness and in preparation for a busy summer period, Swissport early on launched an extensive recruitment campaign in Bulgaria. “Our priority is to always provide a seamless experience for our customers and their passengers. Travel peaks are no different,” concludes Petkov.