Low Cost Airlines For Bulgaria & Romania

New low cost airline routes opening up are always viewed with a positive light from the UK’s perspective usually as a precurser to the emergence of a new overseas property investment location but more often as yet another city break getaway to add to the raft of options on offer these days. A piece this week in the FT by Christopher Condonin Bucharest and Theodor Troev in Sofia takes a look at prospects for the new EU residents seeking to expand their horizons as the expansion of low cost airlines operations continues in Bulgaria and Romania.

Sitting around a restaurant table last weekend, Paul-Andre Baran, an American living in Bucharest, and his Romanian wife Raluca could barely contain their excitement as they discussed plans to travel in Europe in 2007.

Like many people in the Romanian capital, the young couple are looking forward to an expected boom in discount airline traffic to Bucharest, one of the more tangible benefits of joining the European Union, which Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria did on January 1. “London will be our first stop,” said Mr Baran.

They will have to wait until January 15, when Wizz-Air, a Hungary-based operator, launches the first low-cost direct flight from Bucharest to London. The round-trip fare is listed at about €150 ($198, £101), including tax, or about €90 less than British Airways’ best fare. Prices are expected to fall further as competition heats up.

The two countries are hoping to enjoy the same travel boom experienced by their fellow former-communist neighbours in central and eastern Europe - such as Hungary, Poland and the Baltic states - when they joined the EU in 2004.

As well as boosting budget travel opportunities abroad, Romania and Bulgaria hope to see a jolt to businesses in domestic tourist industries.

“For 2007, we think there will be double the number of foreign tourists in Romania,” said Gheorghe Fodoranu, the head of Romania’s association of travel agents.

If other central and east European countries are a guide, discount air travel could also provide a boost in other sectors, such as dental and medical services.

Mark Thomas, director of HRG Bulgaria, a travel agent, said the arrival of low-cost carriers would have been impossible until quite recently. “Just a few years ago, barriers and hurdles would have appeared in front of any new potential airline entrant,” he said.

In anticipation of EU membership both Bulgaria and Romania have already dropped protectionist measures designed to coddle their national flagship carriers.

SkyEurope, based in Slovakia, WizzAir and a few other low-cost carriers already operate flights to Bucharest and Sofia. As of January 1, however, access became even easier. Any operator with a European Union air carrier licence no longer needs government permission to secure landing rights. That, coupled with the countries’ fast growing economies, is expected to attract many more carriers.

Easyjet would not confirm its plans but Mr Thomas said the British-based carrier was expected to open flights to Sofia soon, while an official at Bucharest’s Baneasa airport said Easyjet would begin service there this year. GermanWings is also expected to open routes to each country within months.

Baneasa, which offers discount carriers landing fees half that of Bucharest’s main international airport, expects passenger traffic in 2007 to rise 50 per cent to more than 1m. Traffic rose in 2006 by 150 per cent.

For the Barans, such developments will be welcomed as a means of expanding their travel choices.Source: FT.comwww.thomasoverseas.com - Helping you Buy and Invest in property in Bali, Bulgaria, Barbados, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Dubai, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Mexico, Morocco, Montenegro, Italy, Thailand, Turkey, Saint Vincent, South Africa, Spain, Panama, Portugal, Poland, Romania.

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