Bulgaria Air has announced that it will receive three fuel-efficient Airbus A220 aircraft during the summer this year. Initial deliveries will consist of three of the narrowbody aircraft, although a total of seven are signalled to be arriving with the carrier in the future.

Efficiency upgrade

According to Bloomberg, the Airbus A220-300s are scheduled to be delivered to Bulgaria Air individually, with one arriving in June, the next in August, and the final in September. They will be pushed into service on the airline's busiest routes, including flights from its central hub at Sofia Airport (SOF) to London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. The airline has selected the A220 as it believes it will enable it to expand its capacity significantly while also reducing operating costs.

Although no confirmation has been received from Airbus or the leasing firm involved in the transaction, it's interesting that the airline has already included the A220 in an image on its website.

Bulgaria Air plans to focus on increasing the number of weekly flights along existing routes and adding several new ones in the coming years. The airline's Director, Hristo Todorov, told the news network Avioshow the following concerning the airline's decision to acquire the aircraft,

"The national carrier chose this type of aircraft because of the new type of engines with significantly lower fuel consumption, up to 30-35% of the current aircraft with which we operate scheduled flights.

"This will help Bulgaria Air to be even more efficient and to expand the existing network in terms of the number of weekly destinations and new markets. This will reduce our fuel and emissions costs and we will have a greater supply as capacity to our customers."

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Fleet changes

Bulgaria Air sees this aircraft acquisition as a step towards becoming a larger airline. With these three new A220s, it will join the ranks of airlines operating more efficient airliners. The airline hopes to acquire more A220s in the future as the 143-seat aircraft fits its business model well, and it foresees a long and prosperous future with the Canadian-built aircraft. However, Bulgaria Air is not simply planning to add these and future A220s to its fleet. It plans to periodically dismiss older aircraft to accommodate the new kid on the block.

These older aircraft which the A220 will replace, include the airline's two Airbus A319s and four Embraer E190s. These aircraft are scheduled to be returned to their lessor company in 2025. Even after shedding these aircraft, the airline expects a 15% increase in total seat capacity over the next couple of years.

What do you think of Bulgaria Air acquiring these three new A220s? Do you think they will positively impact the airline's operations? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Bloomberg TV Bulgaria, ch-aviation