Passengers seeking beach destinations from Bulgaria are in luck as Bulgaria Air will soon be launching non-stop flights from Sofia to the Greek island of Crete for its annual summer schedule. The airline will offer this seasonal service from June to October, with a twice-weekly frequency to offer a week's holiday or a long weekend getaway.

The return of flights to Crete

The Bulgarian flag carrier's Sofia-Heraklion route is not new, given that it is simply seasonal and only launched during the summer season. This year, flight services will commence on June 4th, once again allowing passengers the opportunity to enjoy the stunning Greek island and its crystal clear beaches, rich history, and delicious cuisine.

Economy class airfare prices will start at approximately €99 ($106.20) for a one-way ticket from Sofia International Airport to Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis," and includes the right to about 10 kilograms for a passenger's carry-on and free catering onboard the estimated one-hour flight. And the flight schedule is as follows:

Flight number

Departure time

Arrival time

Frequency

FB 879 (SOF - HER)

13:30

15:00

Wednesday and Sundays

FB 880 (HER - SOF)

15:40

17:15

Although Bulgaria Air previously used its Airbus A319s, it seems there's likely an aircraft type change this year as the flag carrier seeks to use its Embraer ERJ-190s. Configured for slightly fewer passengers with just 108 seats in a single-class setting, the aircraft should allow Bulgaria Air to ferry at least 216 passengers to Crete weekly.

Bulgaria Air Embraer ERJ-190
Photo: RikoBest | Shutterstock

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Bulgaria Air's expansion in Spain

Besides the return of the Sofia-Heraklion summer route, Bulgaria Air's also having quite an expansive summer in Spain after it recently penned a new agreement with Iberia last month. The agreement included Barcelona as a second codeshare destination after several successful years of codesharing on the Sofia-Madrid route.

Bulgaria Air will operate all flights on the Sofia-Barcelona route, and Iberia will issue tickets for the two sections on its letterhead. And apart from being a final destination, Barcelona will also be a convenient transfer point for Bulgaria Air passengers who wish to visit some of the most attractive destinations on the Iberian Peninsula.

As the Bulgarian carrier seeks to further expand in Spain, the new cooperation agreement with Iberia also allows several summer destinations in Spain to be even more accessible at the beginning of the peak travel season - with flight services to Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and Palma de Mallorca having commenced since last month, instead of the usual commencements in this month.

Bulgaria Air Embraer E190
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

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Bottom line

And as the airline's route network grows this summer, so will its fleet as the arrival of three fuel-efficient Airbus A220 aircraft is expected this travel season - with the first aircraft arriving within this month, the second to be delivered in August, and the final aircraft is expected in September. The new narrowbodies will be deployed to some of Bulgaria Air's busiest routes.

These include flights from Sofia to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, and Paris. But besides acting as a capacity booster, the Bulgarian flag carrier aims to use the Airbus A220s to gradually replace its Airbus A319s and Embraer ERJ-190s - which means more of the new-generation aircraft could be joining the airline's fleet in the future.