N E S W 95°
09 / 27
RWY 09/27
HDG 95°
LEN 11,811 ft
Sofia Airport

Runway 09 at LBSF

Runway 09/27 at Sofia Airport (LBSF) in Sofia is a 11,811 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 095°/275°. The runway is 147 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 486 landings and 877 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.8% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (4 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.5°, touchdowns averaging 2,657 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 133 kt, a 2.7 kt average crosswind component, a 7.1 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
1363 Operations
877 Deps / 486 Arrs

Runway 09/27 at Sofia Airport (LBSF) in Sofia is a 11,811 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 095°/275°. The runway is 147 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 486 landings and 877 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.8% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (4 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.5°, touchdowns averaging 2,657 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 133 kt, a 2.7 kt average crosswind component, a 7.1 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

486 landings observed on Runway 09 in the last 30 days, alongside 877 departures.

Low Go-Around Rate

0.8% of arrivals at Runway 09 result in a go-around (4 in the last 30 days).

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 17:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 2,657 ft from the threshold on Runway 09.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at LBSF have prevailed from the west (270°), accounting for roughly 21% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 6.0 kt with peak gusts to 45 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.7 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 09 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.5° on Runway 09, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 09 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.5°
Avg touchdown GS
133 kts
Avg touchdown zone
2,657 ft
Avg headwind
7.1 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

15:00 3 landings
16:00 8 landings
17:00 11 landings
18:00 9 landings
19:00 9 landings
20:00 7 landings
21:00 3 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 09 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Go-Around Analysis

A go-around occurs when a pilot aborts a landing attempt and initiates a climb to return for another approach. While go-arounds are a normal safety procedure, their frequency and causes provide insight into operational challenges at specific runways. Runway 09 experienced go-arounds in 0.8% of arrivals over the last 30 days (4 events of 490 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

05965bc1-2565-214e-8230-069228bdfbe8
2026-07-15 13:26
Unstable Approach
05965bc1-2565-214e-8230-069228bdfbe8
2026-07-15 13:26
Unstable Approach
05965bc1-2565-214e-8230-069228bdfbe8
2026-07-15 13:26
Unstable Approach
7e22d372-34cd-a847-a119-80b62fd7c3d3
2026-07-01 08:19
Other
7e22d372-34cd-a847-a119-80b62fd7c3d3
2026-07-01 08:19
Other
7e22d372-34cd-a847-a119-80b62fd7c3d3
2026-07-01 08:19
Other
7e22d372-34cd-a847-a119-80b62fd7c3d3
2026-07-01 08:19
Other
86021070-6f56-9b45-a2df-e11d282b6b64
2026-06-29 12:20
Other
86021070-6f56-9b45-a2df-e11d282b6b64
2026-06-29 12:20
Other
86021070-6f56-9b45-a2df-e11d282b6b64
2026-06-29 12:20
Other
75424305-3432-134e-bd5f-149b4c653133
2026-06-26 11:50
Other
75424305-3432-134e-bd5f-149b4c653133
2026-06-26 11:50
Other
75424305-3432-134e-bd5f-149b4c653133
2026-06-26 11:50
Other

These events represent normal safety procedures and do not indicate operational deficiencies.

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Other 10 events (77%)
Unstable Approach 3 events (23%)

Environmental factors dominate go-around causes, indicating that operational procedures remain sound.

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 09 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

15:00
70° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
16:00
84° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
17:00
91° at 10 kts, gusting 0 kts
10 kts
18:00
120° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
19:00
128° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
20:00
134° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
21:00
120° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
METAR
0° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
95°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 1363 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.