Bulgaria National Air Carrier Might Lose License for Stranding 1000 Foreign Tourists

September 10, 2011, Saturday

Bulgarian ministers have suggested they might consider withdrawing the licenses of the Bulgaria Air national airline and tour operator Alma Tour, after a trade dispute between them led to the cancellation of flights, stranding hundreds of international tourists.

The Sofia City Prosecution has already started an investigation whether the events were caused by officers at Alma Tour, following an order by Bulgarian Prosecutor General Boris Velchev and consultations with PM Boyko Borisov.

Minister of Transport Ivailo Moskovski and vice-minister in charge of tourism Ivo Marinov, who are on the spot at the Black Sea Burgas Airport, have suggested that if the actions of the two companies have wronged tourists, they might have their licenses withdrawn.

Bulgaria Air, Bulgaria's national airline carrier and heir to Balkan Airlines, cancelled Saturday 4 flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Helsinki that were booked by Alma Tour, who according to the airline owe them some EUR 3.5 M.

Meanwhile, Russian Federal Tourism Agency vice-chair Grigoriy Sarishvili, who has arrived in Bulgaria to help with the situation has stated that Russian authorities have the information that some 1,000 tourists have been affected by the scandal.

In addition to the 650 stranded at Burgas Airport, there were 350 more left flightless at Varna Airport on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

Some 190 passengers have already been flown to Moscow, with Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov promising the government plane (capacity 90) to fly the most needy, such as children, pregnant women and people who might be ill.

Russian authorities have promised to do everything possible to have their citizens back by Sunday. It is still not certain how the Scandinavian tourists will go back home. Negotiations are underway for flights to Tallinn, Riga or Vilnius Sunday.

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