Airline tickets in Bulgaria will become costlier due to a new security fee.

The fee is to be introduced in 2012, after Parliament adopted at first reading the amendments to the Civil Aviation Act.

Local tour operators have said that they are not surprised that the European security fee will start being levied at Bulgarian airports.

As of the beginning of 2011, airport operators, not police forces, are responsible for control and checks at airports, which is why their expenses are growing.

The initiators of the legal amendment from the Council of Ministers have calculated that the new fee will add 8% to the airport taxes paid per person.

At present, a passenger departing from Sofia Airport pays around EUR 13 in airport taxes, meaning that the sum will increase by EUR 1 next year.

Once the proposed amendments enter into force, Bulgarian airports will be free to determine airport taxes, which are currently determined by the government.

Some European airline companies have said they will introduce a EUR 5-10 fee for credit card payments in the fall of 2011.

Bulgarian experts in the field are hoping that the measure will not affect the local market.

Airline service providers expect to see a 10% growth in sales volumes in 2011 due to increased traffic and rising prices.