Bulgaria’s main opposition party, the Socialist Party (BSP) demanded on June 28 that the government cancel its decision to call a new tender for the concession of Sofia International Airport, claiming that the way the decision was taken is murky.
A day earlier, the government decided to call the tender but gave no details.
BSP said that it will insist that the government provides details on the planned tender to parliament before calling it.
Another tender for a 35-year concession was launched in 2016, but in April 2017 it was cancelled by the then caretaker government, which said that the concession would raise airport charges and will lead to a decline in passenger traffic.
In March this year, the government awarded a 35-year concession for Plovdiv Airport to a consortium of China’s HNA and Dutch-registered Plovdiv Airport Invest BV. The consortium will have to invest at least €79.1mn within five years after the concession deal is signed, including on repairs, rehabilitation and maintenance of existing infrastructure and new construction.
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