11/08/2019 16:52

Will there be a charter to Sofia?

[IMG=18359-3948] Compared to the previous year the total volume of charter and regular flights to Bulgaria almost doubled in the coming winter season. This conclusion was announced by the destination’s experts interviewed by BANKO. The largest increase is noted in air flights to Plovdiv: there are two charter programs like in the previous year but instead of Tu-154 operators are intended to use spacious Il-86. Starting from the end of December till March there is going to be a large number of ‘Sibir’ flights (Il-86, once in 10 days), organized by ‘Skyway’, ‘Solvex trabel’, ‘Ertsog’ as well the travel agency of ‘Sibir’ airline company. Another series of 6 flights of ‘Kras Air’ for winter holidays are consolidated by ‘Ertsog’. The volume of regular flights to Sofia has also increased: ‘Aeroflot put Il-86 on the line’, says Elena Markelova from ‘Balkan-express’. Other news of the destination is the first charter program which was announced by ‘Atlant-Soyuz’ company and ‘ICS Travel group’ companies. Organizers plan to send tourists to Sofia by Il-86 between the 30th of December and March 2006. According to Dmitry Cherepov, head of Bulgarian department of ‘ICS travel group’, the flight is in plans and schedules of Vnukovo airport and Sofia. Nevertheless, experts say there is not final clarity in the launch of the program yet: ‘Atlant Soyuz’ has not received the official permission from the appointed air carriers of the route – Bulgaria Air and ‘Aeroflot’. Oleg Kovtun, the first deputy of general director of ‘Atlant-Soyuz’ noted that negotiations are held on the level of the Federal agency of air transport. However behind the scenes of the market there is a talk that the stone of stumbling is the position of Aeroflot who allegedly perceives a new player as a competitor. Irina Dannenberg, head of Aeroflot press-service, denied the information: ‘We are talking about charter flights which are created for own passengers – company’s clients. So it will practically not meet with our passenger flow’. According to experts, impressive plans of operators related to air transport to Bulgaria are justified as the demand of Ski Mountain Bulgaria is growing with each year. ‘Judging from sales in January, there is already a lack of seats’, highlighted Alexander Shirokov, head of the charter department of ‘Ertsog’ company. So it is very possible that players of the destination will have to arrange extra planes. One of the reasons for such an interest of alpinists is the price growth in Austria and Slovakia, which caused redistribution of tourist flow and improvement of infrastructure of Bulgarian resorts.