Due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas crisis, the Bulgarian Governmental Airline ”Bulgaria Air” has temporarily suspended all flights scheduled to Tel Aviv from Sofia.
The ban came into effect after observing the situation in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Tensions have kept rising between Israel and Palestine for weeks due to the deepening military strife and heavy casualties from both sides. After carefully analyzing the risk, the Airline decided to cancel sending Bulgarian Airliners to Tel Aviv.
The Airline remarked that it was necessary to ensure Bulgarian citizens’ safety. The ban will be lifted once the situation becomes normal.
Bulgaria Air issued a statement informing the travellers about the temporary ban. The statement reads, “Ensuring the safety of passengers and crew has always been the topmost priority of the national carrier”.
“However, the current situation in Israel has complicated matters and poses a significant risk to the security of civilian flights to and from Tel Aviv airport”.
“Due to the heightened military risk, each flight to the Middle Eastern country goes through preliminary assessment and confirmation of insurance coverage. Unfortunately, the complex situation makes it impossible to get the necessary permission to carry out the flights”.
“Bulgaria Air” has informed passengers about the change in their reservations and issued tickets. The Airline apologizes for the cancellation of the flights, which is due to reasons beyond their control.
Bulgaria Air operated multiple flights during the conflict, extracting the Bulgarians trapped at Tel Aviv Airport due to the conflict.
On October 14, a commercial jet operated by Bulgaria Air brought 96 Bulgarians back to Sofia safely from the active warzone with the cooperation of Israeli authorities.