Direct Flights Sofia-New York to Be Launched in May

A direct flight Sofa-New York will be launched after a 16-year break.

The route will be serviced by airliner BH Air and the flights will be launched in early May, according to CEO of Sofia Airport Hristo Shterionov, as cited by Pressa daily.

Aircraft ? 330-200 will fly from Sofia to New York and Chicago without intermediate landing.

Before 1999, the Sofia-New York route was serviced by Balkan Airlines.

The flights were stopped after the US Federal Aviation Administration prohibited Bulgarian airlines from landing at US airports, ranking the country's civil aviation as second-class.

The ban was lifted in June 2008.

According to the CEO of Sofia Airport, airlines from India and China have expressed interest in operating flights via Sofia Airport.

The airline companies have made inquiries via the embassies in Bulgaria and Sofia Airport has provided them with information about its main indicators.