Bulgarian airlines: Modern and economic

Bulgarian airlines are the easiest way to travel lengthy distances quickly.

Because of its size and the distribution of its cities, you will need Bulgarian airlines to travel around the country. Bulgaria is about the size of the state of Tennessee in the United States, a bit bigger than Iceland, with major cities well distributed across the country:

• Sofia, the capital, in the west
• Varna and Burgas, seaside towns in the east, on the Black Sea
• Plovdiv, the second biggest town, in the south
• Gorna Oryahovitsa in the north

Domestic flights connect all of these cities in under a couple of hours, while all international flights arrive in Sofia or Plovdiv.

Bulgaria Air

One of the main Bulgarian airlines, Bulgaria Air, formerly known as Balkan Air, runs daily flights between the major cities. While prices tend to be largely targeted at business class travelers, they operate on a much simpler fare system than other Bulgarian airlines. Fewer discounts are available for booking months in advance, and they will sell seats still unsold a day or two before the flight very cheaply.

Bulgaria Air offers a range of international flights to destinations all over Europe. The parent company has recently ordered a further seven Boeing aircraft, bringing the total fleet size to twenty-six, eighteen of which are legally able to cross international borders.

A conglomeration of smaller Bulgarian airlines purchased the company from the state in 2006. The group has kept the logo, which was designed in a competition opened up to the whole country, but has modernized its planes to meet European Union safety regulations and offer their customers a higher level of comfort. The owners have pledged a further 86 million euros in investment over the next few years.

Other Airlines

While Bulgaria Air offers the majority of domestic flights, they occupy a much smaller share of the international market. Many of the big operators such as Lufthansa and Olympic operate daily flights to Sofia from Western Europe, but for those looking for a cheaper flight, a new range of budget airlines are making the most of Bulgaria’s entry to the European Union:

• WizzAir – one of the few international airlines that will take travelers to Plovdiv and Varna as well as Sofia, this Polish company recently started operating flights to unique destinations in Eastern Europe. Travel from Western European countries is possible, but all indirect flights stop in Poland. Pricing takes advantage of the weak Polish economy, with lower charges for checked baggage and booking fees.
• EasyJet – this British-owned company operates flights to Sofia from six English cities three or four times a week. The airline is one of the first “no frills” airlines, where service is stripped down to something similar to a short bus journey, with no snacks or entertainment. EasyJet also offers a unique pricing system with massive discounts for booking early, but prices rising rapidly towards the departure date.
• SkyEurope – this very unusual service operates direct flights solely between Vienna and Sofia. Prices are very cheap, but the aircraft hold only around 40 people, so seats sell out fast. Travelers from Western Europe can find cheap flights with EasyJet or Ryanair to Vienna and make their own connections, or take the time to enjoy one of Western Europe’s most enchanting cities.

Overall, while no-frills airlines offer cheaper flights, flying with Bulgarian airlines will offer you more destination choices as well as bigger planes and an introduction to Bulgarian cuisine on longer-haul flights.