THREE LOW-COST AIR COMPANIES START FLYING TO BULGARIA BY JUNE 2007
Bulgarian aviation market will soon welcome three new low-cost air carriers. Germany’s German Wings will start flying to Bulgaria on March 27 2007, Dnevnik daily said. The company launches flights from Cologne to Sofia three times per week. Greek charter air company Sky Express will fly from Sofia through Thessaloniki to the island of Lesbos twice a week. The company plans to launch flights from Sofia to the island of Crete in the summer of 2007. Italian Air Italy would start operating in Bulgaria in June 2007, Dnevnik said. Air Italy will offer flights from Sofia to Verona. Bulgarian air carriers said that the interest of low-cost companies in Bulgaria resulted from the country’s EU accession. Another reason was the safeguard clause imposed on Bulgarian aviation. According to the clause Bulgarian air carriers are treated as 'third party' companies on the joint European aviation market until the country meets safety requirements. Dnevnik said that the number of passengers of low-cost companies to pass through Sofia airport alone was expected to raise by 15 per cent.
