Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Sofia Airport (LBSF) is Bulgaria's principal international gateway, sited a few kilometres east of the capital's centre in the former village of Vrazhdebna. For a simulator pilot it offers a single long, ILS-equipped runway and a busy mix of airline traffic, making it an interesting destination for anyone flying into a major Eastern European hub. It has grown from a modest pre-war grass field into the country's busiest airport, now handling over eight million passengers a year.
Sofia Airport, officially Vasil Levski Sofia Airport, is the main international airport serving Bulgaria's capital. It sits close to the city it serves and functions as the home base for Bulgaria Air, BH Air, European Air Charter and GullivAir, and as an operating base for Ryanair and Wizz Air. For a VFR or IFR sim pilot it represents a large, controlled international field with a single very long paved runway and a full ILS, offering realistic airline-style operations rather than light-aircraft circuit flying.
The airport lies around 10 km east of the centre of Sofia, on the site of the former village of Vrazhdebna. As Bulgaria's principal international airport it sits within controlled airspace commensurate with its scheduled airline traffic, and pilots planning a visit should expect to operate under full air traffic control procedures typical of a major hub.
Sofia Airport has a single physical runway, 09/27, measuring 11,781 feet with a hard surface. It is lit and equipped with an ILS, supporting instrument approaches from either direction and reflecting the airport's role as a major international airline hub.
Radio communications are provided on Approach 123.7 MHz, ATIS 124.05 MHz and Tower 118.1 MHz. The airport's runway 09/27 is served by an ILS, allowing instrument approaches in a range of weather conditions.
The airfield's origins date to 16 September 1937, when Tsar Boris III signed a decree allocating land within the village of Vrazhdebna, about 11 km from Sofia's city centre, for the construction of an airport. Construction proceeded over the following years, and in 1939 the airport opened its first passenger waiting room; by 1941 a fully paved runway had been completed. Between June and September 1938, the Yugoslav airline Aeroput had already operated scheduled services to Belgrade three times weekly using Lockheed Model 10 Electra aircraft, prior to the airfield's full development. During the Second World War the facilities were used by the military, and mail, perishable freight and passenger operations resumed from buildings on the airport's north side in 1947. Various development options were studied from the mid-1960s, including relocating the airport altogether or expanding it to the north-east, before the existing site was retained and progressively enlarged.
Sofia Airport today is Bulgaria's busiest airport and the main base for Bulgaria Air, BH Air, European Air Charter and GullivAir, as well as an operating base for Ryanair and Wizz Air. In 2025 it surpassed eight million passengers for the first time, reflecting its role as the country's principal scheduled and charter gateway. The single long, lit runway with ILS supports year-round international operations.
