Bulgarian Airline Startup 'Holiday Europe' Declares High Ambitions with Plans to Operate Flights to 50 Cities

Bulgarian airline Holiday Europe has begun operations. The carrier announced on its website its inaugural flight took place on August 24th and routed between Antalya and Nuremberg, writes Simple Flying.

From its hub at Sofia International Airport, the new carrier intends to fly to over 50 European destinations by 2022. The Antalya-Nuremberg flight saw the deployment of an Airbus A321-200 with 218 passengers on board.

According to World Airline News, Holiday Europe has been operationally certified by the Bulgarian Transport Authority. The carrier's AOC meets the requirements of EU flight regulations, so it is now able to apply for routes across the continent.

Turkish carrier Onur Air has provided Holiday Europe with the Airbus, and it will continue to support the airline technically and logistically until further notice.

Like other start-up carriers, Holiday Europe's plans are expansive and include widespread European routes serviced by an all-Airbus narrowbody fleet. Writes CAPA, by October this year Holiday Europe hopes to have increased its fleet to a total of seven Airbus A321-200s.

Onur Air can be thanked for its facilitating the rise of Bulgaria's new airline. Begun in 1992, Onur has decades of experience in maintenance and logistical support. It will provide Holiday Europe with flight crews and a technical team for the foreseeable future.

Onur Air prefers to wet-lease its aircraft and purchase them once the leasing agreement expires.

The Istanbul-based carrier has seen an upturn in tourism over the last two years as the conflict in the region subsides. In 2016, foreign visitors to Turkey dropped 30% due to concerns about security and the political instability of the region.

In a press release carried by...