Bulgaria’s GullivAir launches scheduled domestic flights

GullivAir (G2, Sofia) launched its first scheduled route on August 15, 2021, flying daily between Sofia and Burgas.

Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows flights G2211/212 are operated with the airline’s sole active aircraft, ATR72-600 LZ-DAJ (msn 1352). The service is currently scheduled to run at least through the end of the summer season although the airline is looking at operating them on a year-round basis.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, GullivAir’s fleet comprises three A330-200s and three ATR72-600s. However, all three Airbus widebodies are currently parked. One of the trio, LZ-AWZ (msn 874), had been active through August 9 on long-haul leisure charters but has since been parked at Sofia airport. In terms of the Avions de Transport Régional fleet, GullivAir never fully inducted the other two units, which remain in maintenance, into service. The sole active turboprop has been used for leisure charters mainly to Greece and Turkey, but also occasionally on domestic sectors.

The privately-owned carrier competes on the route with Bulgaria Air. The flag carrier and Ryanair also connect Sofia with Varna, the other Black Sea Bulgarian resort town, the ch-aviation schedules module shows.

GullivAir is also contemplating flights to Ruse in northern Bulgaria in cooperation with local authorities there as soon as the derelict airport is refurbished to commercial traffic standards. It would then become the only carrier to serve the city. The airline has also been awarded scheduled traffic rights to connect Sofia and Cairo Int’l, although it provided no information about its potential launch timeline.

Gullivair is owned by Yanko Ivanov, who is also the founder of BH Air – Balkan Holidays Air (8H, Sofia).