The first aircraft operated by Bulgarian airline GullivAir landed at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport on 7 November, marking the resumption of direct Sofia–Yerevan–Sofia flights through cooperation between GullivAir and Bulgaria Air.

An event was held at the airport to mark the occasion, attended by Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Vahan Kostanyan and Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivanka Tasheva.

Kostanyan said the resumption of flights between Yerevan and Sofia was a very important step, particularly given the level of political dialogue between the two countries.

“Only a few months ago, we elevated relations between Yerevan and Sofia to the level of a strategic partnership, and developing economic relations between the two countries is therefore an important part of our agenda. We see that exports of agricultural produce from Armenia to Bulgaria have already increased considerably in recent months. Until now, these have largely been transported by land. I believe the availability of this flight also gives our private-sector exporters a new opportunity to consider increasing exports through air cargo, allowing them to reach European markets much faster. Bulgaria today serves as our gateway to the EU market,” Kostanyan said.

Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivanka Tasheva expressed hope that the initiative would develop and prove sustainable, describing it as a very important step towards improving ties between the two countries.

“Our countries enjoy excellent relations, which we must further strengthen and develop. This applies to trade relations, energy and contacts between people, particularly young people, which are very important. There is a long list of issues of mutual interest. We can use this opportunity to move forward and develop our ties further. The Bulgarian government is ready to move forward. GullivAir and Bulgaria Air will develop this connection together. We greatly appreciate the excellent work of everyone in all the institutions involved,” Tasheva said.

Bulgaria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Nikola Nikolov, said this was an important step towards strengthening connectivity, boosting year-round tourism, and deepening the economic and diplomatic ties between Bulgaria and Armenia.

“Our key objective is to ensure that this route operates throughout the year, facilitating direct contacts between our peoples, business communities and institutions.

“I wish GullivAir and Bulgaria Air every success and extend my sincere gratitude to all government bodies and institutions in both countries that made this direct connection possible!” Nikolov added.

Flights will operate twice a week, every Thursday and Saturday.