Currently, there is no precise statistic on the percentage increase in airfare prices, but according to expert estimates, the increase is in the range of between 10 and 15 percent. This was stated by the Chairman of the Association of Bulgarian Airlines (ABA), Yovko Yotsev, during a press conference in Sofia, at which an analysis of the development of the aviation market in 2025 and the current challenges facing the sector were presented.
He clarified that the price increase coincides with a period of growing demand, as the summer season begins, when ticket prices traditionally start to rise. According to him, it is currently difficult to make an accurate assessment of how specifically the price of fuel affects the increase in ticket prices as a separate factor.
Yotsev also pointed out that there is no clarity on when the crisis related to logistical difficulties and passage on key transport routes will be resolved, which also creates uncertainty for price changes. According to him, it is difficult to predict to what levels the price increase may reach, but there are prerequisites for this.
He noted that airlines strive, as far as possible, to keep prices down, but in the medium term this proves difficult. The reason is that with a general increase in inflation, consumer incomes do not increase at the same pace, which limits travel opportunities. At the same time, carriers have to cover their increasing costs.
According to him, in the current situation, the increase in transport prices seems inevitable, and its specific size will depend on the development of the situation in the coming weeks and months.