EasyJet flights from Southend to Bulgaria take off
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Flights to the Bulgarian capital city – at 7,000 years, one of the oldest in Europe – are now operating every Sunday and Wednesday (running through until 20 March 2019). The new route is expected to carry over 11,000 passengers this winter.
The first flight to the Bulgarian capital signifies the opening of easyJet’s 21st route from London Southend and comes after an important summer for its expansion strategy, during which it celebrated the launch of the 1000th route across its network.
Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager at easyJet, said “We are absolutely delighted to announce the inaugural flight of easyJet’s new route between London Southend and Sofia – a route which is expected to be popular amongst those looking to enjoy a short city break in one of the most stunning and historic cities in Europe. The continued expansion of easyJet’s operations at London Southend reinforces its position as Europe’s leading airline and its commitment to providing passengers with a greater range of destinations. EasyJet has now been at Southend for over six years and this new route plays a key role in its overall expansion strategy, offering both low fares and great service.”
Glyn Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Stobart Aviation, owners of London Southend Airport said ”This new destination of Sofia will doubtless prove very popular with passengers from London and the South East. Our successful partnership with easyJet continues to go from strength to strength, and it is great to see that they expect to carry over one million annual passengers to and from the airport for the first time this year. We are now London’s fastest growing airport with a fantastic mix of well over 30 leisure and business destinations for people to explore, with more and more airlines and passengers realising that we are a better way to travel.”
Bulgaria's laid-back capital is often overlooked by visitors heading straight to the Black Sea coast or the ski resorts, but they're missing something special. Since the fall of communism, Sofia has seen a whole host of smart new hotels, shopping centres, nightclubs and bars that will keep you going until the early hours, and you’ll still have change in your pocket. One of the newer members of the city break brigade, Sofia is a holiday destination that is definitely here to stay.
Having played host to Romans, Byzantines, Bulgars, Turks and Communists over the years, Sofia has a rich cultural heritage. From grand Russian-style Neo-classical boulevards and Ottoman mosques to 4th century Byzantine basilicas and huge onion-domed cathedrals, Sofia is a culture lover’s paradise -there’s all you could wish for in terms of museums and galleries, with some of the most impressive historic collections in Eastern Europe.
