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European Air Charter (Bulgarian airline)

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European Air Charter
Юръпиън еър чартър
IATA ICAO Call sign
H6 BUC EUROCHARTER
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000)
(as Bulgarian Air Charter)
Commenced operationsMay 2021; 3 years ago (2021-05)
(as European Air Charter)
Operating bases
Fleet size10[2]
DestinationsCharter and ACMI[1]
HeadquartersSofia, Bulgaria
Key peopleApik Garabedian
RevenueIncrease 82 million (2017)[3]
Net incomeIncrease €8.4 million (2017)[3]
Websitewww.euaircharter.com

European Air Charter (Bulgarian: Юръпиън еър чартър)[4][5] (formerly Bulgarian Air Charter)[5] is a Bulgarian charter airline headquartered in Sofia.[6]

History

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Bulgarian Air Charter

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European Air Charter was established as Bulgarian Air Charter in 2000 and started operations on 14 December 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aviation Service Group. It operates flights for several tour operators to destinations mostly in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel and Poland.

Since the period the airline was founded, it has transported more than 3.5 million passengers. The company has 330 employees.[7] The airline has its own maintenance unit which has capabilities on McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series and Airbus A320 series aircraft covering airframe, engines and landing gear services and overhaul of aircraft components.[8]

The airline started operations with five Tupolev Tu-154s. In 2004, the airline retired these aircraft and replaced them with seven McDonnell Douglas MD-80. By 2011, the Bulgarian Air Charter fleet had grown to 12 MD-80s. In September 2015, Bulgarian Air Charter added its first Airbus A320-200 to its fleet.[9]

European Air Charter

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In May 2021, Bulgarian Air Charter announced it was changing its name to European Air Charter.[5][4]

In October 2023, European Air Charter phased out their remaining McDonnell Douglas MD-82s as the last European operator.[10]

Destinations

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European Air Charter operates flights for various airlines on wet-lease and ACMI contacts and tour operators in Europe, Middle East and Africa.[1]

Fleet

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European Air Charter Airbus A320-200
A former Bulgarian Air Charter McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (2013)

Current fleet

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As of September 2024, the European Air Charter fleet consists of the following aircraft:[2][11]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A320-200 10 180
Total 10

Former fleet

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Bulgarian Air Charter also used to operate Tupolev Tu-154s[12] and - as one of the last European airlines to do so - McDonnell Douglas MD-82s,[10] which have since been phased out.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d euaircharter.com - Destinations retrieved 2 August 2021
  2. ^ a b planespotters.net - European Air Charter Fleet Details and History retrieved 3 December 2023
  3. ^ a b "Най-големите транспортни компании: Нови бариери от ЕС при камионите, бум при летища и пристанища".
  4. ^ a b euaircharter.com retrieved 24 May 2021
  5. ^ a b c aerotelegraph.com - "Bulgarian Air Charter now is European Air Charter" (German) 5 May 2021
  6. ^ Flight International 27 March 2007
  7. ^ "Bulgarian Air Charter-About Us". Bulgarian Air Charter. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  8. ^ "MRO – Bulgarian Air Charter MRO".
  9. ^ "Bulgarian Air Charter". Airliner World: 7. November 2015.
  10. ^ a b airliners.de (German) 25 October 2023
  11. ^ euaircharter.com - Aircraft retrieved 8 September 2024
  12. ^ md-80.com - Bulgarian Air Charter retrieved 21 May 2016
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Media related to European Air Charter (Bulgaria) at Wikimedia Commons