Varna Airport launched a new arrivals and departures terminal with the start of the busy summer season 2007. Terminal 5 has doubled Varna Airport’s capacity, ensuring better and faster passenger service. With an area of 6,000 sq m the new terminal gives passengers plenty of room to feel at ease. It has all the necessary infrastructure, equipment and facilities to provide for incoming and outgoing passengers. Ten check-in counters and six passport control points are now available to those departing, and new bars and shops have opened in the departures lounge. Arriving passengers can use one of the six passport control points; two large airport carousels bring in their luggage. Airport staff, passport control officers, customs officials and the airlines’ representatives enjoy comfortable rooms and offices.   On 10 November 2006, Varna and Burgas airports welcomed the delegates of their new concessionaire - with bread and salt, folk songs and classical music performed in the departure lounges. The celabration marked the official start for the two coastal airports. On September 10-th 2006 the German-Bulgarian consortium Fraport Twin Star Airport Management signed the contract for the concession of Varna and Burgas airports – the air gateway to the popular Bulgarian Black Sea tourist region. During the 35-year concession period Fraport Twin Star Airport Management will operate and invest in the development of both costal airports. The investments planned for the entire period come to 403 million euros, spend on building new terminal facilities, expanding apron areas and involving the acquisition modern airport vehicles and eqiupment with care for the environment.   On September 25-th 1972 a new airport terminal building started functioning. It was designed by “Transproject Co.”, Sofia and consisted of three wings: Administrative and Technical Department, Domestic Lines, International Lines, as well as a big parking lot outside the building. The second storey of the Domestic Lines wing hosted a 130-seat restaurant, duty free shops and currency exchange were situated in the international terminal. Bigger airplanes and heavier traffic led to the necessity of thickening the runway in 1974. The following year central heating facilities, fire precaution depot and a pumping station were completed. Taking into consideration the flow of passengers and load, as well as the greater expectations for the role of Varna airport in the overall development of the region, a new general plan has been developed for the complex over the last couple of years. It provided for modernization of both the International Terminal and the Domestic Lines Terminal. Major changes will affect transportation and heavy load handling - lengthening of the existing runway; construction of a new landing strip for heavy load aircraft; heavy load truck parking lot; storehouses; loading terminal.   On May 9-th 1948 the new airport of Varna was officially opened for business. The first aircraft from Sofia with its official guests on board landed on the aerodrome at 10:40 AM. The flight took 2 and a half hours. As was the case with “Tihina” airport, the aircraft used for that occasion was also a Junkers 52. A couple of wooden cabins were used for administrative, technical maintenance and storage needs. The total staff included only 4 people - the head of the department, a wireless operator and two mechanics. Construction work continued throughout the following years. In 1961 a new concrete runway 2500m in length and 24-26 cm in thickness was ready for use. A light-signaling system was also constructed there thus making night-flights much easier. In 1967 the stopping place was widened and 4 new tracks were built. Meanwhile radiolocation and radio navigation equipment was installed. The first AR1 survey locator was imported from England. After 1996 a TRAC VIEW-220 multi-radar flight control system was added to the airport facilities.   On December 24-th 1919 landed the first mail-plane from Sofia to Varna, this airline was functional for only one month. It was not until 1947 that a regular service from Varna to Sofia started to operate. The first Junkers 52 aircraft landed at Tihina Airport on 2nd August. There were only four passengers on this flight, and the total flights during the year came to six, with a total of 23 passengers on board. Tihina Airport itself was located in the outskirts of “Asparuhovo” district, to the west of the present-day Asparuhovo Bridge, in the place of the canal. It occupied an area of approximately 1000-15000 decares and its facilities included a hangar and a workshop. Flight directions were quite primitive at that time: stones held an enormous canvas in the form of the letter T (for Tihina) to the runway.