Norwegian Air Shuttle to enter Bulgarian market with direct Oslo route in June

The flights will be year-round and twice a week, starting from June 24, SOF Connect said in a press release.

Passengers will fly on Norwegian's Boeing 737 aircraft.

"Scandinavia is a strategic region for Sofia Airport's development and has significant market potential, which we expect will soon be recognised by other airlines," Sofia Airport CEO Jesus Caballero said. He added that the move is another stage in the expansion of the airport's flight network and there are optimistic expectations for 2023.

More routes and more frequent departures are seen to drive higher demand for Norwegian tickets during next year's summer season, according to the Scandinavian air carrier's executive vice president, Magnus Thome Maursund.

Norwegian was launched in 2002.

It carried 6.1 million passengers in the third quarter, increasing its load factor to over 88% from 73.1% a year earlier, its most recent interim results show.

In the summer 2023, Norwegian plans to increase its fleet to 85 aircraft from 69 as at the end of September.