Cheap Flights To Bulgaria

A note today about the latest news on low cost airlines and their flights to Bulgaria, including Ryanair, Wizz Air and EasyJet. Jamadvice Travel, longest-established English speaking tour operator and flights operator in the business in Bulgaria has a comment or two about the most up to date news.

"Biggest news on the block this week is the proposed commencement of operations by Low Cost Airline Ryanair to Bulgaria. Other Low Cost carriers have long being flying here; mainly to Sofia but also to a lesser extent to Bourgas and Varna. Wizz Air has successfully made Sofia a ‘mini-base' whilst the arrival of EasyJet has re-enforced people's trust in this form of aviation.

Low Cost carriers however are not always the cheapest when one includes the numerous add ons such airlines charge both optionally and non optionally. For anyone disbelieving they are not always cheap try looking at Wizz Air flights to the Black Sea from London for July!

What is intriguing with Ryanair's potential arrival are three things: firstly that they have not specified where they would fly to/from; secondly when they enter a market they have a tendency to obliterate the competition with fares that are 1 Euro or even free. This tactic is designed to build up a market following rather than earn short term income. Thirdly is the choice of airport - Plovdiv.

At the risk of sounding like we are saying "we told you so", we drafted several articles may years ago stating that looking ahead, "the use of Plovdiv and Rousse Airports made sense to possible new Low Cost entrants". This was not rocket science but an understanding of what has worked on other territories. Plovdiv is a blatantly obvious choice for such a carrier as it has half of the Bulgarian population within 1 ½ hours drive as well as two out of the three Bulgarian ski resorts within the same time frame, with the third and largest one (Bansko) well within the transfer limits associated with ski transfers. Plus the continued expansion of the Trakia Highway to Bourgas will make the Southern Black Sea area an even shorter drive from Plovdiv as the year's progress.

There is also another potential vital element in the proposed choice. The EU is rather touchy about State owned airports and their municipalities subsidizing the arrival of new airlines which has the knock on effect of stimulating the economy of the immediate surrounding area. However when airports are not in State hands it's a rather different story. Plovdiv Airport, as far as we understand, is not operated on concession so is therefore not under direct State influence. Thus they have the ability to charge however much or however little for airlines to operate.

Borovets and Pamporovo might be the potential big winners should this move materialise whereas Sofia Airport may be the one to take a minor hit".