Bulgaria's national carrier Bulgaria Air will keep flying the Sofia-Burgas route through the winter, with the first flight under the new schedule on October 25. The route is new for the 2026/2027 winter season and will run throughout it, giving a steady link between the capital and the coastal city, the airline says.

Flights will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Tickets are on sale now, starting at 78 euros for a one-way economy fare.

Between May 2 and May 19, 2027, the airline will run up to two flights a day to Burgas. It says the extra flights are laid on for the guests expected for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgaria.

The route will be flown by an Airbus A220-100, the newest aircraft type in the airline's fleet. Bulgaria Air points to more legroom, wider seats and bigger windows, an adaptive climate system and a USB port at every seat as the plane's main selling points.

The winter schedule also adds another new route. From December 17, 2026, the Sofia-Lisbon-Sofia route will run for the first time in winter, twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, also with an Airbus A220.

On Mondays the plane leaves Sofia at 18:55 and Lisbon at 22:20. The Thursday flight leaves Sofia at 12:25, with the return leaving Lisbon at 15:50. All times are local.

The lowest one-way economy fare to the Portuguese capital is 169 euros. The fare includes hand luggage up to 10kg, a handbag or laptop bag, free check-in and food on board.

In Skytrax's 2026 World Airline Awards, Bulgaria Air ranks fourth in eastern Europe, making the region's top five. A year earlier the airline placed lower.

The rankings are based on ratings from passengers around the world, covering everything from airport service to comfort on board. The rest of eastern Europe's top five are airBaltic, Air Serbia, Georgian Airways and Romania's TAROM.