Bulgaria Air, Bulgaria's national airline carrier and heir to Balkan Airlines, has started legal actions to collect the EUR 3.6 M owed to it by tour operator, Alma Tour.

The matter is to be resolved by the Court, and until then Bulgaria Air is firm it would not transport any customers of the the tour operator, otherwise it would place at risk all other regular and charter flights to the Russian Federation and many other destinations, according to an official statement of the airline, issued Tuesday.

The national carrier further point out that if they continue to "finance" Alma Tour, they would violate the schedule of their daily payments for deliveries of fuel, airport services and other fees.

According to Bulgaria Air, Alma Tour had problems in repaying its bank loans in the summer, namely a credit in the amount of USD 8 M for the financing of its airline transportation services and in the amount of EUR 18 M for hotel accommodations.

"Currently, the national carrier continues to service its 18 regular flights from the Bulgarian Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas to Moscow and St. Petersburg and would continue to do so until the end of the summer season. Regarding the situation with Alma Tour customers, who were stranded in Varna and Burgas – the issue must be resolved by the tour operator," the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, confirmed the criminal business police is probing the dispute, saying the incident tarnished the country's image as a tourist destination.

The probe must be concluded in a few days, Velchev said, all while confirming that Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, was the one to alert him about the situation and its seriousness.

About 200 Finnish tourists were finally able to fly home late Monday evening with a three-day delay over the dispute. About 60 Russians are still at hotels in Burgas and the largest summer resort Sunny Beach on the southern Black Sea coast where there are accommodated by hotel owners free of charge.

The Association of Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Owners already announced they are planning to offer a free vacation to the stranded Russian tourists in June 2012.

Some 700 Russians, 200 Finns and dozens of persons from Lithuania waited for days to get home after their flights were canceled due to an alleged EUR 3.6 M debt to carrier Bulgaria Air from operator Alma Tours.

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