Bulgaria Air
Bulgaria’s flag carrier, operating scheduled European and regional services primarily from its Sofia hub.
About Bulgaria Air
Bulgaria Air is Bulgaria’s national flag carrier and operates scheduled passenger services under the FB airline code. Established in 2002 as the successor to the former Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, it began flying in December that year and adopted the Bulgaria Air name in 2003. The privately owned airline is part of Bulgarian aviation and transport group structures associated with Chimimport, while its national branding reflects its role as the country’s principal international carrier.
Sofia Airport is Bulgaria Air’s primary hub and the centre of its scheduled network. The airline serves 25 destinations across 18 countries through 56 routes, focusing mainly on European capitals, commercial centres and leisure markets. Its network includes Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Malaga, Moscow, Paris and Rome, alongside domestic and seasonal flying involving cities such as Bourgas. Some destinations and frequencies vary according to season and demand.
Aircraft types associated with Bulgaria Air’s operations include the Airbus A319 and A320, Embraer ERJ-170 and ERJ-190, Boeing 737-400, ATR 72 and British Aerospace BAe 146. Not all recorded types necessarily remain in current passenger service, as the fleet has evolved over time. The airline generally offers economy and business-class products, with the precise cabin layout, seat selection options and onboard service depending on the aircraft and route.
Bulgaria Air is not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld, but it maintains commercial partnerships and codeshare arrangements that can extend the range of available connections. Its frequent-flyer programme is Fly More, through which eligible members can earn and redeem points and receive benefits based on membership status and fare conditions. Travellers should confirm whether a codeshare flight qualifies for credit before booking or submitting a retrospective claim.
A notable strength is the airline’s convenient nonstop access between Sofia and a selection of major European cities, which can make it practical for travel to and from Bulgaria without an additional connection. Its comparatively compact network also presents a challenge: frequencies may be limited on certain routes, particularly outside peak travel periods. Passengers with onward connections should therefore allow sensible transfer time and review seasonal schedules carefully before finalising their plans.
Good to know
Flying with Bulgaria Air — what to expect
Sofia Hub
Most Bulgaria Air services are centred on Sofia Airport. Check connection times carefully because frequencies on some routes can be limited or seasonal.
Seasonal Schedules
Services to leisure destinations and Bulgaria’s Black Sea region may vary by season. Confirm operating days directly before arranging hotels or separate onward tickets.
Baggage Conditions
Cabin and checked-baggage entitlements depend on the fare, cabin and operating carrier. Review the allowance shown on your booking, especially when travelling on a codeshare itinerary.
Mixed Aircraft
Aircraft size and cabin layout can differ across the network. Seat comfort, storage space and business-class configuration may therefore vary by route.
Fly More Credit
Fly More members should add their membership number before travel and retain boarding passes. Partner or codeshare flights may follow different earning rules.
Network overview
Where Bulgaria Air flies
Bulgaria Air operates 56 routes to 25 destinations across 18 countries, its longest sector reaching Malaga to Sofia (2,467 km nonstop).
Destinations served
Cities Bulgaria Air flies to, most-served first.
Main hubs
Busiest departure bases, by route count.
Fleet
Aircraft types on record for these routes.
Longest nonstop route
Malaga → Sofia
2,467 km · AGP → SOF
The longest sector in the Bulgaria Air network, measured as the great-circle distance between the two airports.
Route data · TravelPayouts route data · updated 2026-07
Route network
Popular routes operated by Bulgaria Air
Notable destinations on Bulgaria Air's network.
FBSofiadirectFBMoscowdirectFBBourgasdirectFBParisdirectFBRomedirectFBAmsterdamdirectFBAthensdirectFBBerlindirectFBBrusselsdirectFBBucharestdirectFBFrankfurtdirectFBKyivdirectDestination list is indicative of Bulgaria Air's network; see the airline's official route map for its complete, current schedule.
Reviews of Bulgaria Air
TripAdvisor · 2020–2023- 56
- 43
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- 138
What travellers flew
Counted from the 50 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
Mrs Laz
Worst airline ever! Flight was delayed by 3 hours and therefore we missed our connection. There was no help and any interest from the employees to address the issue and help. There is no Bulgarian service counter at Frankfurt so 8 people were left with… See more absolutely no help! We had to pay for a hotel ourselves and thank god we were all able to fly the next day with Lufthansa. I would avoid this airline as the plague.
See lessPosted June 2023 by Virginia L
Very expensive
Cheapest flights between the two Bulgarian cities Sofia and Varna are like 2-4 times more expensive than Ryanair and this is the Bulgarian national aviation company! There is no excuse to have such high prices when their internal fees/expenses should be way… See more lower considering the salaries of Bulgarians versus UK crew and the additional airport/airspace fees!
See lessPosted June 2023 by Momchil
Excellent flight
Flight to Paris for the Easter break. Apparently it was full and they gave me a seat in business class. The food and business class itself matched what I've seen on other European airlines.
Posted April 2023 by Ogi0, Sofia
Don’t bye a ticket!!!!
Don’t bye a ticket.This company is give a sh**t about the customer. Our flight was 8:40 am on 03.01.2023.At 10 am the company supposed to give information about the upcoming flight.One of the crew was sick and they still looking for somebody to replace the… See more sick employee.No organisation at all.I hope we will catch the flight from Sofia to Zurich. Very bad experience we also had with the flights from Zurich to Varna on 23.12.2022.The flight from Zurich to Sofia was ok(because is international airport and they can’t play), but the flight Sofia-Varna was horrible. We took off with 2 hours delays because they didn’t have an airplane to fly.There was no information and a top of that they were so arrogant. That was first and last flights with Bulgaria Air. Never again!!!!
See lessPosted January 2023 by Antoaneta E
If you travel with a pet, it might never make it
We traveled Paris-Sofia with our dog. We were told to wait for our luggauge and the dog but two hours latter, we there was no dog. We asked at the airport a number of times and we were told to keep waiting. At the end they told us the dog was lost and never… See more made it to Bulgaria eventhough we saw from the window of the plane it being borded in its cage before we took off. Apperantly the dog was never taken off the plane, the plane took off to a new destination and when they realised the dog is still on board they had to return the plane again to sofia, land it in order to take out the dog. Absolutly outrageous! They did not follow the required protocols, did not check the plane and the luggauge areas propperly after landing not before taking off, failed to acompany the dog in its journey eventhought they are specifically paid to do so, basically failed at doing their job at delivering the animal from A to B, put the dog's life in huge dangour, cause tremendous stress to the owners and the dog, wasted eveyones time, lied to their customers and did not often compensations nor appologies. Thank god the dog is alive because it could have been on a 10hour flight to a non EU country withouth water and food and could have been potentially dead. I've heard terrible stories about Bulgaria Air and the misterious death of dogs traveling with them but never wanted to belive them. Well... will never travel with them again!!!
See lessPosted December 2022 by Iva S
The worst airline - avoid
They just told me that there's no avialable seats even though I have booked my flight one month ago. There was 1 hour line for checkin which was done by only one person. I was denied entrance and then rebooked for another date. Absolutely disgusting and time… See more wasting.
See lessPosted October 2022 by Kaloyan
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
More from Bulgaria
Other airlines based in Bulgaria
FAQ
Bulgaria Air — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- Bulgaria Air’s primary hub is Sofia Airport. Its other busiest departure points by route coverage include Moscow, Bourgas, Paris and Rome.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts. Originfacts never adds a fee.
- Bulgaria Air flies primarily within Europe, including services involving Sofia, Moscow, Bourgas, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt and Kyiv. Some routes operate seasonally or only on selected days.
- Bulgaria Air’s longest route is Malaga to Sofia, covering about 2,467 km nonstop.
- The busiest departure hubs by number of routes are Sofia, Moscow, Bourgas, Paris and Rome, in that order. Sofia is the airline’s principal operating base.
- Bulgaria Air’s carry-on allowance depends on the fare, cabin and itinerary. Check the dimensions and weight displayed in your booking or on the airline’s official baggage page, particularly for codeshare flights operated by another carrier.
- Fares are often lower when booked ahead for off-peak dates and midweek travel, although pricing varies by route and demand. Compare nearby dates and avoid major holidays and peak summer departures when flexibility permits.
- Bulgaria Air serves exactly 25 destinations across 18 countries, operating 56 routes.