site.btaNew Airline Route to Connect Sofia and Bucharest Starting October 1

A new airline route will connect Sofia and Bucharest from October 1, 2025, Bulgarian Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov and Cristian Pandel, co-owner of the Romanian airline AnimaWings, said on Wednesday. The news was presented at an event hosted at the Bulgarian Embassy in Bucharest, attended by representatives of Romanian travel agencies, as well as members of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and the Bilateral Chamber of Commerce Bulgaria-Romania. In a symbolic gesture, Vlaykov and Pandel placed Sofia on the company’s destination board, alongside Stockholm, Prague, Paris, Dubai, Istanbul, Timisoara, and Cluj-Napoca.

Pandel noted that this was only the first step in bringing the two countries closer together. He recalled that while many Romanians traditionally visit Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, in recent years he had discovered another side of the country – Sofia and the Bulgarian mountains. He said that he was deeply impressed by Bulgaria’s natural beauty, where unlike in Romania, he could even camp without worrying about bears. He voiced confidence that Romanian travellers would be equally excited to experience Bulgaria in a fuller sense, since the two nations still do not know each other very well. Pandel added that business exchanges were bound to grow, pointing out that many Romanian companies had already opened offices in Bulgaria, likely drawn by the country’s more favourable tax system.

“Our cooperation will only expand, because connectivity leads to the movement of businesspeople and tourists alike,” Pandel said, adding that the initiative was made possible with the support of the Bulgarian Embassy. “Ambassador Vlaykov convinced us to make this step and to bring Bucharest closer to Sofia,” he noted and explained that flights will operate every weekday, Monday through Friday, using brand-new Canadian-built aircraft.

Ambassador Vlaykov underlined that the new line would be a major advantage not only for business travellers but also for tourists and commuters working across the two countries. He told BTA that preparations are already under way for launching seasonal charter flights to Burgas and Varna in the summer and to Plovdiv in the winter.

Pandel also revealed that when the route opens on October 1, there will be introductory promotional fares. In addition, AnimaWings is preparing tourism packages for travellers over 55, offering winter spa holidays in Bulgaria, as well as programmes focused on cultural and pilgrimage tourism.