Bulgaria Air is the national airline of Bulgaria, based at Sofia Airport (SOF). Operating under the IATA code FB and ICAO code LZB, the airline connects Bulgaria with destinations across Europe while also operating domestic services.
Founded in 2002 following the collapse of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, Bulgaria Air has developed into a relatively small European flag carrier with Sofia at the heart of its network.
✈️ Fleet
The Airbus A320 family has long played an important role in Bulgaria Air’s operations, alongside Embraer regional aircraft. More recently, the airline has been modernising its fleet with the Airbus A220, bringing a new generation of aircraft to its European network.
🇧🇬 Connecting Sofia and the Black Sea
Bulgaria Air also provides an important link between Sofia and Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. One of these domestic routes connects the capital with Varna, the country’s largest city on the Black Sea.
This was also the route of my own flight with Bulgaria Air.
✈️ My Bulgaria Air Experience
On 30 May 2022, I flew with Bulgaria Air on flight FB972 from Varna to Sofia.
Date: 30 May 2022
Flight: FB972
Route: Varna (VAR/LBWN) → Sofia (SOF/LBSF)
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Registration: LZ-FBH
Seat: 22A
Departure: 08:33
Arrival: 09:12
Flight time: 39 minutes
It was a very short domestic hop — just 39 minutes in the air — taking me from Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast to the capital.
Despite the short flight time, it was another interesting addition to my aviation logbook. I always enjoy flying with a country’s national airline when visiting, and Bulgaria Air gave me the opportunity to experience Bulgaria’s flag carrier on one of its classic domestic routes.
🇧🇬✈️ 30 May 2022: Varna to Sofia aboard Bulgaria Air Airbus A320 LZ-FBH — only 39 minutes, but another memorable entry in my flying history.