Bulgaria Air is the main airline of the Eastern European country of Bulgaria, and each plane bears red and green livery, the colours of the Bulgarian flag. The privately owned company was formed in 2006; when current owners Chimiport Inc took over from the government-owned company of the same name. Before 2005, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines was the country's leading airline. The name Bulgaria Air was decided after a public competition to choose its new name. A competition was also held to upgrade the aircraft livery which was used until 2006 when a more professional design was introduced. Bulgaria Air offers budget flights, similar to Easyjet.
Today, Bulgaria Air operates short and medium-distance flights across the Middle East, Russia and Europe with regular low-cost flights from the capital, Sofia, to Paris, London and Madrid. The majority of internal flights focus on the Bulgarian cities of Burgas and Varna. More flights operate during the summer months, which is true of most European airlines largely catering for the tourist industry, such as Austrian Airlines.
There are currently ten planes in the Bulgaria Air fleet. The Embraer 190 is the most popular, with the Airbus A320-200 following a close second. This is mainly because of the difference in seat pitch or legroom of the economy class. The Embraer 190 has a seat pitch of 31 inches, while the Airbus A320-200 has a smaller seat pitch of 29 inches. Passengers can take advantage of extra legroom seats near the emergency exits, or by purchasing a seat in business class.
Bulgaria Air's headquarters are at Sofia Airport, just outside Sofia. Sofia Airport is a busy hub used by many airlines, including Transavia Airlines and Wizz Air. Additional service on Bulgaria Air flights includes in-flight food at no additional cost to the passenger. Meals are served with a selection of hot or cold, alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Passengers with specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free, Kosher or vegetarian can inform the airline of their requirements when booking their ticket. Economy class meals are light, while business class meals are more substantial and served hot. Look out for the complimentary magazine, 'Bulgaria on Air'.
Bulgaria Air offers an airline reward scheme for frequent fliers. The loyalty scheme is called 'Fly More' and award points to passengers, that can be used to purchase discounted flights, cheap car hire from affiliated companies, a faster check-in time and more.
