Sofia Airport has emerged as one of Europe’s most closely watched digital innovators, outpacing regional rivals such as Larnaca International, Trondheim, Zagreb and Thessaloniki in the race to modernize airport operations with artificial intelligence, data-driven systems and next-generation passenger experiences.

Backed by a long-term concession, an ambitious new Terminal 3 project and an airport-wide transformation strategy, Bulgaria’s capital gateway is positioning itself as a benchmark for smart, mid-sized hubs in Europe’s rapidly evolving travel landscape.

More News

Award-Winning Transformation Puts Sofia in the Spotlight

The most visible validation of Sofia Airport’s new trajectory came in early 2025, when Airports Council International (ACI) Europe named “Vasil Levski” Sofia Airport the winner in the 5 to 10 million passengers category at its prestigious Best Airport Awards. The jury described Sofia’s approach as a compelling and well-structured transformation strategy, with a strong focus on people, community ties and long-term sustainability. Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus, which shares a similar traffic profile and market role, was highly commended in the same category, underscoring how tight the competition has become among Europe’s mid-sized hubs.

ACI’s recognition is significant because it looks beyond traditional metrics like traffic volume and on-time performance. Judges increasingly scrutinize an airport’s ability to digitalize its processes, reduce its environmental footprint, and design services around evolving passenger expectations. In that context, Sofia Airport’s win over peers including Larnaca and other regional competitors signals that its technology and transformation agenda is not just ambitious on paper, but already delivering measurable results.

Industry analysts note that the award has symbolic weight in Southeast Europe, a region where several airports have announced expansion or modernization plans but have not yet executed large-scale digital overhauls. While Scandinavia’s Trondheim Airport and tourism-focused hubs such as Thessaloniki and Zagreb have invested in infrastructure and service quality, Sofia’s all-encompassing strategy for operations, passenger experience and sustainability is increasingly seen as a blueprint for the next stage of airport modernization.

Inside Sofia’s AI-Driven Operational Overhaul

At the core of Sofia Airport’s transformation is a growing network of AI-enabled systems that touch everything from runway scheduling to building management. Under its private concession, the airport has been deploying advanced analytics to forecast passenger flows, optimize resource allocation and anticipate disruption, with the goal of making operations smoother and more resilient during peak travel periods.

Operational teams now rely on predictive models to better plan staffing, gate assignments and baggage handling capacity. Instead of reacting to congestion as it occurs, airport managers can identify pressure points hours in advance, adjusting security lanes, check-in counters or boarding times before bottlenecks develop. This proactive approach, powered by machine learning applied to historic and real-time data, aims to reduce queues and missed connections while squeezing more efficiency out of existing infrastructure.

Sofia’s digital control of terminal systems is also expanding. Heating, cooling and lighting are increasingly coordinated through smart building platforms that respond to occupancy and external conditions, trimming energy use and operating costs. Paired with long-term plans for net-zero emissions by 2036, this kind of data-driven facility management allows the airport to match comfort and sustainability, an area where many mid-sized competitors are only beginning to invest at scale.

By contrast, while Larnaca, Trondheim, Zagreb and Thessaloniki have each introduced discreet smart systems in areas like security screening or airside planning, few have integrated AI into such a broad operational framework. Airport consultants say that integration is precisely where Sofia Airport is pulling ahead: instead of isolated pilots, it is pushing toward a connected ecosystem where data flows between departments and decision-making is increasingly automated.

From Check-In to Boarding: A Fully Digital Passenger Journey

Passenger-facing digital services are another area where Sofia is rapidly building differentiation. The airport’s leadership has publicly committed to making every stage of the journey, from arrival at the curb to boarding the aircraft, as seamless and digital-first as possible. That includes encouraging widespread use of mobile boarding passes, self-service kiosks and automated bag-drop units to bring down waiting times and free up staff for more complex tasks.

Plans outlined by Sofia Airport’s management emphasize a “single pane of glass” experience for travelers, with flight updates, gate changes, retail offers and transport connections accessible via mobile devices and smart screens throughout the terminal. Behind the scenes, AI-driven tools are being used to personalize content and recommendations, learning from passenger behavior to offer more relevant information and services.

Compared with Larnaca, which has introduced modern terminal facilities and some self-service technology, or Thessaloniki and Zagreb, which have upgraded their terminals in recent years, Sofia’s model relies more heavily on predictive and personalized digital engagement. Rather than viewing digital channels purely as an information layer, the Bulgarian hub is using them as a central interface through which passengers navigate services, interact with staff and even influence how the airport allocates its resources in real time.

Experts say this end-to-end digitalization is reshaping expectations for Europe’s mid-tier airports. Many travelers who once associated such advances with major hubs in Western Europe are now starting to experience similar journeys at airports like Sofia, raising the competitive stakes for regional rivals that depend heavily on leisure traffic and cost-conscious airlines.

Gen Z Focus and Immersive Technologies Set a New Standard

A distinctive twist in Sofia Airport’s strategy is its explicit focus on Generation Z travelers, a demographic that will dominate the aviation market in coming decades. In late 2025, the airport’s chief executive was scheduled to present a Gen Z-focused digital strategy at the International Airport Summit, outlining how the hub plans to weave the physical and digital experience into a single narrative tailored to younger, highly connected passengers.

Central to that strategy is the deployment of immersive technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality. Airport planners are developing AR-based wayfinding tools that can guide passengers visually to their gates, shops or lounges via smartphones or wearable devices. VR experiences, meanwhile, are intended to offer previews of destinations or airline cabins, turning dwell time into an opportunity for discovery rather than passive waiting. These features aim to make the airport journey more engaging and intuitive for a cohort that expects interactive, mobile-first experiences as the norm.

Sofia Airport is also experimenting with digital storytelling and social-media-based engagement. Short-form video content, behind-the-scenes access and live events are being rolled out to integrate the airport into the online lives of younger travelers. Rather than treating social channels as simple marketing tools, the airport is positioning them as extensions of the terminal environment, where information, entertainment and customer service can coexist in real time.

While several airports across Europe have launched social media campaigns or experimented with digital art installations, few have framed their entire transformation program around the preferences of Gen Z. This emphasis sets Sofia apart from more traditional hubs such as Trondheim, Zagreb and Thessaloniki, which tend to focus their digital investments on operational efficiency and compliance. For Sofia, the bet is that speaking the language of younger travelers will drive loyalty, repeat visits and word-of-mouth advocacy, particularly among low-cost and weekend-break passengers.

Terminal 3 and the Push Toward a Five-Star Regional Hub

Physical infrastructure remains a crucial piece of Sofia Airport’s digital puzzle, and the flagship project is the planned Terminal 3. The new facility is designed to elevate the airport to the status of what local officials are calling Europe’s first five-star regional airport, with technology embedded at every stage of the design. Early plans foresee a terminal capable of handling up to 20 million passengers per year, nearly tripling the airport’s throughput compared with its 2023 traffic of just over 7 million passengers.

The future terminal will integrate with existing facilities to create a single, streamlined complex, with walking distances carefully engineered so that all gates are within a short stroll of central commercial areas. Security checkpoints are expected to use high-throughput scanners and smart queuing systems that can process thousands of passengers per hour with minimal friction, relying on AI algorithms to balance lane loads and predict busy periods before they occur.

Retail and services will also be reimagined around a digital core. Expect widespread use of dynamic pricing, tailored promotions delivered via mobile apps and interactive displays that respond to passenger profiles. For families and pet owners, dedicated play zones and animal-friendly areas are being integrated into the plan, with digital wayfinding ensuring they remain easy to locate even during peak times. This approach aligns with the broader industry shift toward mixed-use terminals that blend travel, shopping and leisure into a single environment.

Regional competitors are pursuing their own expansion plans, from new or expanded terminals at Thessaloniki and Zagreb to modernization efforts at Larnaca and Trondheim. Yet aviation planners say Sofia’s combination of an all-new terminal and a comprehensive digital- and AI-first philosophy may allow it to leapfrog more established hubs in perceived quality. If the airport succeeds in obtaining top-tier ratings from passenger satisfaction benchmarks and industry rankings, it could redefine what “regional” means in the European context.

How Sofia Compares With Larnaca, Trondheim, Zagreb and Thessaloniki

To understand Sofia’s rise, it is useful to compare its trajectory with that of the airports it is now measured against. Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus is an important gateway for Mediterranean tourism and has invested in modern terminal infrastructure and passenger amenities. However, its digital initiatives have been more incremental, focusing on improving check-in and security efficiency rather than reshaping the entire passenger journey or operations model around AI and immersive technologies.

Trondheim Airport in Norway has gained recognition for sustainable operations and high service standards in Scandinavia, including the use of smart technologies in areas such as airfield management and terminal design. Yet its digital transformation has largely centered on environmental and process efficiency objectives, with fewer publicly announced initiatives focused on personalized, data-driven passenger experiences or Gen Z engagement strategies.

Zagreb and Thessaloniki, both serving growing tourism and business markets in the Balkans and Greece, have upgraded terminals and improved connectivity in recent years. Their efforts have included steps toward digitalization, such as self-service kiosks and improved online platforms. Still, industry rankings and award outcomes suggest they have not yet matched Sofia’s pace in building a cohesive, airport-wide AI and digital strategy that touches people, processes and infrastructure simultaneously.

What differentiates Sofia is not just the presence of technology, but how it is orchestrated. From its award-winning transformation plan recognized by ACI Europe to its upcoming Terminal 3 and Gen Z-focused digital engagement, the Bulgarian capital’s airport is treating digitalization as the backbone of its competitive strategy, rather than an add-on. For travelers choosing between regional hubs, that difference is increasingly visible in the smoothness, speed and personality of the journey.

Sustainability, Community and the Future of Europe’s Smart Airports

Beyond technology for its own sake, Sofia Airport’s digital push is closely aligned with sustainability and community goals. The airport’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2036 gives context to its investments in smart building systems, energy-efficient operations and data-driven resource management. AI is being used not only to improve efficiency but also to track and reduce the environmental impact of terminal activities, ground operations and energy consumption.

ACI Europe’s judges highlighted Sofia’s efforts to support human capital development and strengthen ties with local communities, suggesting that digitalization is being paired with upskilling initiatives for staff and outreach programs for nearby businesses and residents. By involving employees and local partners in its transformation, the airport aims to ensure that automation and AI complement, rather than replace, the human element that remains critical in hospitality and crisis response.

This integrated approach contrasts with some peers that have prioritized rapid deployment of automated systems without the same level of focus on people and place. As regulators and passengers pay closer attention to how airports treat both their workforce and their surroundings, Sofia’s blend of technology, sustainability and community engagement may prove a decisive differentiator in awards, airline partnership negotiations and traveler loyalty.

Looking ahead, the competition among Europe’s mid-sized airports is expected to intensify as travel surges and airlines seek efficient, high-quality secondary hubs. With its recent accolades, aggressive AI and digital roadmap, and a transformative new terminal on the horizon, Sofia Airport has put itself on the map as a front-runner in that race, setting a pace that Larnaca, Trondheim, Zagreb, Thessaloniki and others will have to match to remain competitive in the next era of European air travel.