Independently-owned Bulgarian carrier BH Air has made a formal application to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit to inaugurate flights from Sofia to two US cities from next year. In its November 1, 2012 official application, the airline revealed plans to offer a Sofia – New York – Chicago – Sofia service on a three times weekly basis and confirmed it is currently in negotiations to dry lease an Airbus A330 or A340.
The carrier launched operations in January 2002 but until now it has focussed entirely on the short-haul market of the commercial industry, although it does also offer executive aviation options. BH Air currently operates for tour operator Balkan Holidays International and as such offers charter flights to the Germany, Israel, Scandinavia, Switzerland and the UK, as well as ad hoc charters to other destinations. During the summer it mainly serves the Black Sea destinations of Bourgas and Varna, while its winter network provides links to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
There is a notable demand for air services between Bulgaria and North America. In 2011 an estimated 24,000 O&D passengers travelled between Bulgaria and USA on scheduled services with a further 27,000 between Bulgaria and Canada. North America is a popular destination for Bulgarians and with an active diaspora across the region there is also a sizeable level of ethnic demand. There is also a relatively strong charter demand between the Bulgarian and US markets.
The number of Bulgarians outside Bulgaria has sharply increased since 1991, following the collapse of the communism in Eastern Europe and the growth of the Bulgarian population in North America has been mainly related to work and education. According to census information from the Bulgarian media, around 50,000 Bulgarian citizens are resident in Canada and approximately 300,000 in USA.
BH Air will become the first carrier to offer non-stop links between Sofia and North America since national carrier Balkan Bulgarian Airlines ceased its own long-haul flights to New York in March 1999. The State-owned flag carrier introduced services on the route in January 1991 and had offered between one and three weekly flights, subject to season, using a Boeing 767-200ER. Balkan also provided limited scheduled links from Sofia to Detroit and Toronto during the 1990s.
Prior to Balkan’s flights, private Singapore-owned Bulgarian carrier, Jess Air previously operated services from the Bulgarian capital to destinations in North America. These commenced in July 1991 with twice weekly flights to Ottawa, but New York was also added to its network in October the same year with a weekly frequency being provided over a three month period until December 1991. The flights to New York resumed in June 1992, this time twice weekly, and Ottawa was replaced by Montreal as a destination. These services continued until the arrival of Balkan in the market and all North American routes were closed in March 1993 ahead of the carrier’s collapse that summer.
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