Budapest Airport has welcomed the return of regular flights to Sofia, Bulgaria, with new airline customer Bulgaria Air, the national carrier of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The carrier’s Embraer 190 aircraft, configured with two class 108-seats touched earlier after a brief 70 minute journey.

Bulgaria Air, which is serving the route four times weekly, becomes the first overseas airline to benefit from Budapest Airport’s innovative incentive scheme to increase more thin routes.

The initiative announced at Routes Europe in Budapest in May, and approved by the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority last month, enables airlines to benefit with a 50 per cent discount on passenger service charges per year, for a maximum three years.

The scheme is being applied to new ‘thin’ routes in order to help Budapest Airport fill its so called ‘white spots’ on its expanding route map.

“We are delighted to welcome new airline Bulgaria Air,” said Kam Jandu, Budapest Airport aviation director.

“The route will be popular with business people and leisure travellers this summer too with a schedule that enables short break weekends in Bulgaria and Hungary.”