Sofia Airport
Statistics -- Busiest destinations
Table:
Top 10 of Busiest destinations at Sofia Airport by departures passengers to final destination (2018)[56][57][58]

Rank

City

Airlines

Passengers

Rank Change

1.

London

British Airways, Bulgaria Air, easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air

443,198

2.

Varna

Bulgaria Air, Wizz Air

146,638

1

3.

Milan

Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air

132,977

1

4.

Rome

Alitalia, Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air

128,645

5.

Tel Aviv

Arkia, Bulgaria Air, El Al, Israir Airlines, Wizz Air

127,795

3

6.

Amsterdam

Bulgaria Air, Transavia

125,859

1

7.

Brussels

Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air

120,406

1

8.

Athens

Aegean Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air

117,935

9.

Frankfurt

Bulgaria Air, Lufthansa, Wizz Air

117,402

10.

Madrid

Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, Wizz Air

102,265

3

Leveraging the given table along with the context paragraphs listed at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: What sea is by the city that the fewest number more people flew out of Sofia Airport to than Milan in 2018 ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

London is the capital and largest city of England and of the United Kingdom . Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England , at the head of its 50-mile ( 80 km ) estuary leading to the North Sea , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . Londinium was founded by the Romans . The City of London , London 's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles ( 2.9 km2 ) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that closely follow its medieval limits . [ note 1 ] The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status . Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly . [ note 2 ] London is considered to be one of the world 's most important global cities and has been termed the world 's most powerful , most desirable , most influential , most visited , most expensive , innovative , sustainable , most investment friendly , and most popular for work city . London exerts a considerable impact upon the arts , commerce , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , professional services , research and development , tourism and transportation . London ranks 26th out of 300 major cities for economic performance . It is one of the largest financial centres and has either the fifth or the sixth largest metropolitan area GDP . [ note 3 ] It is the most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the busiest city airport system as measured by passenger traffic . It is the leading investment destination , hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city .
British Airways ( BA ) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom , headquartered at Waterside , Harmondsworth , near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport . It is the second largest airline in the United Kingdom , based on fleet size and passengers carried , behind easyJet . In January 2011 BA merged with Iberia , creating the International Airlines Group ( IAG ) , a holding company registered in Madrid , Spain . IAG is the world 's third-largest airline group in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest in Europe . It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE 100 Index . British Airways is the first passenger airline to have generated more than $ 1 billion on a single air route in a year ( from 1 April 2017 , to 31 March 2018 , on the New York JFK - London Heathrow route ) . BA was created in 1974 after a British Airways Board was established by the British government to manage the two nationalised airline corporations , British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways , and two regional airlines , Cambrian Airways from Cardiff , and Northeast Airlines from Newcastle upon Tyne . On 31 March 1974 , all four companies were merged to form British Airways . However , it is marking 2019 as its centenary based on predecessor companies . After almost 13 years as a state company , BA was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government . The carrier expanded with the acquisition of British Caledonian in 1987 , Dan-Air in 1992 , and British Midland International in 2012 . Its preeminence highlights the reach of the country 's influence as many of its destinations in several regions were historically part of the British Empire .
Bulgaria Air ( Bulgarian : България Ер ) is the flag carrier airline of Bulgaria , with its headquarters at Sofia Airport in Sofia . The company is owned by Chimimport AD and is a leader in terms of local market share . The airline operates short and medium haul aircraft to destinations in Europe , Middle East , and Russia . Focus cities in Bulgaria are Burgas and Varna . In 2018 the company carried a total of 1.267 million passengers on 5,995 flights .
EasyJet PLC , styled as easyJet , is a British low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport . It operates domestic and international scheduled services on over 1,000 routes in more than 30 countries via its affiliate airlines EasyJet UK , EasyJet Switzerland , and EasyJet Europe . EasyJet plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . easyGroup Holdings Ltd ( the investment vehicle of the airline 's founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his family ) is the largest shareholder with a 34.62% stake ( as of July 2014 ) . It employs nearly 14,000 people , based throughout Europe but mainly in the UK . EasyJet has seen expansion since its establishment in 1995 , having grown through a combination of acquisitions , and base openings fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel . The group , along with associate companies easyJet UK , easyJet Europe and easyJet Switzerland , operate more than 300 aircraft . It has 29 bases across Europe , the largest being Gatwick . In 2014 , the airline carried more than 65 million passengers , making it the second-largest budget airline in Europe by number of passengers carried , behind Ryanair . EasyJet was featured in the television series Airline broadcast on ITV which followed the airline 's operations at London Luton and later at other bases . Its pilot training scheme was the subject of another ITV television series , easyJet : Inside the Cockpit , which premiered in August 2017 .
Ryanair DAC is an Irish budget airline founded in 1984 , headquartered in Swords , Dublin , Ireland , with its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports . It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family of airlines , and has Ryanair UK , Ryanair Sun , Malta Air and Lauda as sister airlines . In 2016 , Ryanair was the largest European budget airline by scheduled passengers flown , and carried more international passengers than any other airline . Ryanair operates more than 300 Boeing 737-800 aircraft , with a single 737-700 used primarily as a charter aircraft , but also as a backup and for pilot training . The airline has been characterised by its rapid expansion , a result of the deregulation of the aviation industry in Europe in 1997 and the success of its low-cost business model . Ryanair 's route network serves 40 countries in Europe , North Africa ( Morocco ) , and the Middle East ( Israel , Lebanon and Jordan ) . The company has been criticised over its employee conditions and heavy use of extra charges . It has also been noted for its intentional provocation of controversy as a means to generate free publicity . As of 2019 , it has been voted the least-liked short-haul airline six years running in Which ? surveys , and came last in a 2019 rating of 100 UK brands ' customer service .
Wizz Air , legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( Hungarian : Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft . ) and stylised as W ! zz Air , is a Hungarian low-cost airline with its head office in Budapest . The airline serves many cities across Europe , as well as some destinations in North Africa and the Middle East . It has the largest fleet of any Hungarian airline , although it is not a flag carrier , and currently serves 44 countries . Its Jersey-based parent company , Wizz Air Holdings plc , is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index . As of 2018 , the airline has its largest base at Budapest Airport with over 60 destinations . In 2019 the airline transported 39.8 million passengers .
Varna ( Bulgarian : Варна , pronounced [ ˈvarnɐ ] ) is the third largest city in Bulgaria and the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast . Situated strategically in the Gulf of Varna , the city has been a major economic , social and cultural centre for almost three millennia . Varna , historically known as Odessos ( Ancient Greek : Ὀδησσός ) , grew from a Thracian seaside settlement to a major seaport on the Black Sea . Varna is an important centre for business , transportation , education , tourism , entertainment and healthcare . The city is referred to as the maritime capital of Bulgaria and headquarters the Bulgarian Navy and merchant marine . In 2008 , Varna was designated seat of the Black Sea Euroregion by the Council of Europe . In 2014 , Varna was awarded the title of European Youth Capital 2017 . [ permanent dead link ] The oldest gold treasure in the world , belonging to the Varna culture , was discovered in the Varna Necropolis and dates to 4200-4600 BC .
Milan ( /mɪˈlæn/ , US also /mɪˈlɑːn/ , Italian : Milano [ miˈlaːno ] ( listen ) , Milanese : [ miˈlãː ] ( listen ) ) is a city in northern Italy , capital of Lombardy , and the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome . Milan served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire , the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia . The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million while its metropolitan city has 3.23 million inhabitants . Its continuously built-up urban area , that stretches well beyond the boundaries of its administrative metropolitan city , is the fourth largest in the EU with 5.27 million inhabitants . The population within the wider Milan metropolitan area , also known as Greater Milan , is estimated at 8.2 million , making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and the 4th largest in the EU . Milan is considered a leading alpha global city , with strengths in the field of the art , commerce , design , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , services , research and tourism . Its business district hosts Italy 's stock exchange ( Italian : Borsa Italiana ) , and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies . In terms of GDP , it has the second-largest economy among EU cities after Paris , and is the wealthiest among EU non-capital cities . Milan is considered part of the Blue Banana and one of the Four Motors for Europe . The city has been recognized as one of the world 's four fashion capitals thanks to several international events and fairs , including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair , which are currently among the world 's biggest in terms of revenue , visitors and growth . It hosted the Universal Exposition in 1906 and 2015 . The city hosts numerous cultural institutions , academies and universities , with 11% of the national total enrolled students .
Rome ( Latin and Italian : Roma [ ˈroːma ] ( listen ) ) is the capital city and a special comune of Italy ( named Comune di Roma Capitale ) . Rome also serves as the capital of the Lazio region . With 2,879,728 residents in 1,285 km2 ( 496.1 sq mi ) , it is also the country 's most populated comune . It is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits . It is the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome , which has a population of 4,355,725 residents , thus making it the second or third most populous metropolitan city in Italy depending on definition . Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula , within Lazio ( Latium ) , along the shores of the Tiber . Vatican City ( the smallest country in the world ) is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome , the only existing example of a country within a city ; for this reason Rome has sometimes been defined as the capital of two states . Rome 's history spans 28 centuries . While Roman mythology dates the founding of Rome at around 753 BC , the site has been inhabited for much longer , making it one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe . The city 's early population originated from a mix of Latins , Etruscans , and Sabines . Eventually , the city successively became the capital of the Roman Kingdom , the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire , and is regarded by many as the first ever Imperial City and metropolis . It was first called The Eternal City ( Latin : Urbs Aeterna ; Italian : La Città Eterna ) by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC , and the expression was also taken up by Ovid , Virgil , and Livy .
Alitalia - Società Aerea Italiana ( Alitalia - Italian Air Company ) , operating as Alitalia ( Italian pronunciation : [ aliˈtaːlja ] ) , is the flag carrier of Italy . The company has its head office in Fiumicino , Rome , Italy . Its main hub is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport , Rome , and a secondary is Linate Airport , Milan . Other focus airports are Catania-Fontanarossa Airport , Milan Malpensa Airport , Palermo Airport and Naples Airport . In 2018 , it was the twelfth-largest airline in Europe . The name is an Italian portmanteau of the words ali ( 'wings ' ) and Italia ( 'Italy ' ) . Alitalia has been loss-making for many years . On 2 May 2017 , the airline went into administration after the Italian government formally approved the move , but the loss-making operations have continued since then , at about the same level of activity .
Tel Aviv-Yafo , often referred to as just Tel Aviv , is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel . Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a population of 451,523 , it is the economic and technological center of the country . If East Jerusalem is considered part of Israel , Tel Aviv is the country 's second most populous city after Jerusalem ; if not , Tel Aviv is the most populous city before West Jerusalem . [ a ] Tel Aviv is governed by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality , headed by Mayor Ron Huldai , and is home to many foreign embassies . [ b ] It is a global city and is ranked 25th in the Global Financial Centres Index . Tel Aviv has the third- or fourth-largest economy and the largest economy per capita in the Middle East . The city has the 31st highest cost of living in the world . Tel Aviv receives over 2.5 million international visitors annually . A party capital in the Middle East , it has a lively nightlife and 24-hour culture . Tel Aviv has been called The World 's Vegan Food Capital , as it possesses the highest per capita population of vegans in the world , with many vegan eateries throughout the city . Tel Aviv is home to Tel Aviv University , the largest university in the country with more than 30,000 students . The city was founded in 1909 by the Yishuv ( Jewish residents ) as a modern housing estate on the outskirts of the ancient port city of Jaffa , then part of the Jerusalem province of Ottoman Syria .
Arkia , legally incorporated as Arkia Israeli Airlines Ltd ( Hebrew : ארקיע , I will soar , Arabic : خطوط أركيا ) , is an Israeli airline . Its head office is on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv , Israel . It is Israel 's second-largest airline , operating scheduled domestic and international services , as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe and across the Mediterranean . Its main base is Ben Gurion Airport , with hubs at Eilat Airport and Ramon Airport .
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. , trading as El Al ( Hebrew : אל על , To the Skies or Skywards , stylized as ELעלALאל ; Arabic : إل-عال ) is the flag carrier of Israel . Since its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948 , the airline has grown to serve over 50 destinations , operating scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights within Israel , and to Europe , the Middle East , the Americas , Africa , Australia and the Far East , from its main base in Ben Gurion Airport . El Al is the only commercial airline to equip its planes with missile defense systems to protect its planes against surface-to-air missiles , and is considered one of the world 's securest airlines , thanks to its stringent security procedures , both on the ground and on board its aircraft . Although it has been the target of many attempted hijackings and terror attacks , only one El Al flight has ever been hijacked ; that incident did not result in any fatalities . As Israel 's national airline , El Al has played an important role in humanitarian rescue efforts , airlifting Jews from other countries to Israel , setting the world record for the most passengers on a commercial aircraft ( single plane record of 1,088 passengers on a 747 ) by Operation Solomon when 14,500 Jewish refugees were transported from Ethiopia in 1991 . El Al offers only kosher in-flight meals , and does not fly passengers on the Jewish Shabbat or religious holidays . In 2012 , El Al operated an all-Boeing fleet of 42 aircraft , flying over 4 million passengers , and employed a staff of 6,056 globally . The company 's revenues for 2016 were $ 2.04 billion , totalling losses of $ 80.7 million compared to a profit of $ 57 million in 2010 .
Israir Airlines Ltd. , more commonly referred to as Israir , is an Israeli airline headquartered in Tel Aviv . It operates domestic scheduled and air taxi flights from Ben Gurion International Airport , and Eilat Airport , as well as international charter services from Ben Gurion International Airport to Europe and Asia . It also operates VIP flights , and is Israel 's third-largest airline after El Al and Arkia Israel Airlines , employing some 350 staff .
Amsterdam ( /ˈæmstərdæm/ , UK also /ˌæmstərˈdæm/ ; Dutch : [ ɑmstərˈdɑm ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper , 1,380,872 in the urban area and 2,410,960 in the metropolitan area . Found within the province of North Holland , Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the Venice of the North , attributed by the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Amsterdam 's name derives from Amstelredamme , indicative of the city 's origin around a dam in the river Amstel . Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century , Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world in the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century and became the leading centre for finance and trade . In the 19th and 20th centuries , the city expanded , and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built . The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19-20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Sloten , annexed in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam , is the oldest part of the city , dating to the 9th century . As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe , Amsterdam is considered an alpha-world city by the Globalization and World Cities ( GaWC ) study group . The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands . Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there , including Philips , AkzoNobel , TomTom and ING . Also , many of the world 's largest companies are based in Amsterdam or have established their European headquarters in the city , such as leading technology companies Uber , Netflix and Tesla . In 2012 , Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU ) and 12th globally on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer .
Transavia Airlines C.V. , trading as Transavia and formerly branded as transavia.com , is a Dutch low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of KLM and therefore part of the Air France-KLM group . Its main base is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and it has other bases at Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Eindhoven Airport . Transavia maintains Transavia France as its French subsidiary .
Brussels ( French : Bruxelles [ bʁysɛl ] ( listen ) or [ bʁyksɛl ] ; Dutch : Brussel [ ˈbrʏsəl ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Brussels-Capital Region ( French : Région de Bruxelles-Capitale ; [ a ] Dutch : Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest ) , [ b ] is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities , including the City of Brussels , which is the capital of Belgium . The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community , but is separate from the Flemish Region ( which forms an enclave ) and the Walloon Region . Brussels is the most densely populated and the richest region in Belgium in terms of GDP per capita . It covers 162 km2 ( 63 sq mi ) , a relatively small area compared to the two other regions , and has a population of over 1.2 million . The metropolitan area of Brussels comprises over 2.5 million people , which makes it the largest in Belgium . It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards Ghent , Antwerp , Leuven and Walloon Brabant , home to over 5 million people . Brussels grew from a small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe . Since the end of the Second World War , it has been a major centre for international politics and home to numerous international organisations , politicians , diplomats and civil servants . Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union , as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions , including its administrative-legislative , executive-political , and legislative branches ( though the judicial branch is located in Luxembourg , and the European Parliament meets for a minority of the year in Strasbourg ) [ c ] . Its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions . The secretariat of the Benelux and headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels . As the economic capital of Belgium and one of the top financial centres of Western Europe with Euronext Brussels , it is classified as an Alpha global city .
Athens ( /ˈæθɪnz/ ATH-inz ; Greek : Αθήνα , romanized : Athína [ aˈθina ] ( listen ) ; Ancient Greek : Ἀθῆναι , romanized : Athênai ( pl . ) [ atʰɛ̂ːnai̯ ] ) is the capital and largest city of Greece . Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world 's oldest cities , with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence started somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC . Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus . A center for the arts , learning and philosophy , home of Plato 's Academy and Aristotle 's Lyceum , it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy , largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent , and in particular the Romans . In modern times , Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic , financial , industrial , maritime , political and cultural life in Greece . Athens is a global city and one of the biggest economic centers in southeastern Europe . It has a large financial sector , and its port Piraeus is both the largest passenger port in Europe , and the second largest in the world . The Municipality of Athens ( also City of Athens ) , which actually constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire city , had a population of 664,046 ( in 2011 ) within its official limits , and a land area of 38.96 km2 ( 15.04 sq mi ) . The urban area of Athens ( Greater Athens and Greater Piraeus ) extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits , with a population of 3,090,508 ( in 2011 ) over an area of 412 km2 ( 159 sq mi ) . According to Eurostat in 2011 , the functional urban area ( FUA ) of Athens was the 9th most populous FUA in the European Union ( the 6th most populous capital city of the EU ) , with a population of 3.8 million people . Athens is also the southernmost capital on the European mainland and the warmest major city in Europe .
Aegean Airlines S.A. ( Greek : Αεροπορία Αιγαίου Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία , Aeroporía Aigaíou Anónimi Etairía pronounced [ aeropoˈria eˈʝeu ] ; LSE : 0OHY ) is the flag carrier airline of Greece and the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried , by number of destinations served and by fleet size . A Star Alliance member since June 2010 , it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European and Middle Eastern destinations . Its main hubs are Athens International Airport in Athens , Macedonia International Airport in Thessaloniki and Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus . It also uses other Greek airports as bases , some of which are seasonal . It has its head office in Kifisia , a suburb of Athens . On 21 October 2012 , Aegean Airlines announced that it had struck a deal to acquire Olympic Air , and the buyout was approved by the European Commission a year later , on 9 October 2013 . Both carriers continue to operate under separate brands . In addition , Aegean Airlines participated in the final stages of the tender for the privatization of Cyprus Airways , the national carrier of Cyprus . Following the bankruptcy of Cyprus Airways , Aegean Airlines established a hub at Larnaca Airport , thus initiating scheduled flights to and from the island to various destinations and filling the service gap created by the services termination of Cyprus Airways .
Frankfurt ( officially : Frankfurt am Main ( German : [ ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ʔam ˈmaɪn ] ( listen ) ; Hessian : Frangford am Maa ; lit . Frank ford on the [ a ] Main ) ) is a metropolis and the largest city of the German federal state of Hesse , and its 746,878 ( 2017 ) inhabitants make it the fifth-largest city in Germany . On the River Main ( a tributary of the Rhine ) , it forms a continuous conurbation with the neighbouring city of Offenbach am Main , and its urban area has a population of 2.3 million . The city is at the centre of the larger Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region , which has a population of 5.5 million and is Germany 's second-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr Region . Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2013 , the geographic centre of the EU is about 40 km ( 25 mi ) to the east of Frankfurt 's central business district . Like France and Franconia , the city is named after the Franks . Frankfurt is the largest city in the Rhine Franconian dialect area ( Franconian dialects ) , Frankfurt was one of the host cities of the official tournaments of the 1974 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup . Frankfurt was a city state , the Free City of Frankfurt , for nearly five centuries , and was one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire , as a site of imperial coronations ; it lost its sovereignty upon the collapse of the empire in 1806 and then permanently in 1866 , when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia . It has been part of the federal state of Hesse since 1945 . Frankfurt is culturally , ethnically , and religiously diverse , with half of its population , and a majority of young people , having a migration background . A quarter of the population consists of foreign nationals , including many expatriates . Frankfurt is an alpha world city and a global hub for commerce , culture , education , tourism and transportation .
Deutsche Lufthansa AG ( German pronunciation : [ ˌdɔʏtʃə ˈlʊfthanzaː ] ) , commonly known as Lufthansa , is the flag carrier and largest German airline which , when combined with its subsidiaries , is the second largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried . The name of the company is derived from the German word Luft meaning air and Hansa for the Hanseatic League . Lufthansa is one of the five founding members of Star Alliance , the world 's largest airline alliance , formed in 1997 . Besides its own services , and owning subsidiary passenger airlines Austrian Airlines , Swiss International Air Lines , Brussels Airlines , and Eurowings including Germanwings ( referred to in English by Lufthansa as its Passenger Airline Group ) , Deutsche Lufthansa AG owns several aviation-related companies , such as Lufthansa Technik and LSG Sky Chefs , as part of the Lufthansa Group . In total , the group has over 700 aircraft , making it one of the largest airline fleets in the world . Lufthansa 's registered office and corporate headquarters are in Cologne . The main operations base , called Lufthansa Aviation Center , is at Lufthansa 's primary hub at Frankfurt Airport , and its secondary hub is at Munich Airport where a secondary Flight Operations Centre is maintained .
Madrid ( /məˈdrɪd/ , Spanish : [ maˈðɾið ] ) [ n. 1 ] is the capital and most populous city of Spain . The city has almost 3.3 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million . It is the second-largest city in the European Union ( EU ) , surpassed only by Berlin , and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU , smaller only than Paris . The municipality covers 604.3 km2 ( 233.3 sq mi ) . Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid ( which comprises the city of Madrid , its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages ) ; this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha . As the capital city of Spain , seat of government , and residence of the Spanish monarch , Madrid is also the political , economic and cultural centre of the country . The current mayor is José Luis Martínez-Almeida from the People 's Party . The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP in the European Union and its influence in politics , education , entertainment , environment , media , fashion , science , culture , and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world 's major global cities . Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs , Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid . Due to its economic output , high standard of living , and market size , Madrid is considered the major financial centre and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe . It hosts the head offices of the vast majority of major Spanish companies , such as Telefónica , IAG or Repsol . Madrid is also the 10th most liveable city in the world according to Monocle magazine , in its 2017 index .