Bulgarian airline BH Air could launch direct flights to the United States next spring  – 16 years after national carrier Balkan Airlines made its last flight to New York.

BH Air could launch direct flights from Sofia to New York and Chicago with bookings to be launched this autumn, 24 Chasa daily has reported.

The airline will fly an Airbus А 330-200 on the planned routes to the US. The aircraft will offer 242 economy class seats and 24 seats in business class.

According to the BH Air’s executive director Ianko Ivanov, around 99% of certificates needed for flights to the US have already been granted, with only some technical details related to safety remaining to be sorted out.

BH Air plans to fly to Chicago and New York four times a week. The largest Bulgarian expat community in the US lives in Chicago. The airline also hopes to attract passengers from Bulgaria’s neighbours Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Albania on its routes to the US.

Currently, Turkish Airlines is the only carrier in the Balkans offering direct flights to the US. BH Air is also in talks with Sky Greece for cooperation in trans-Atlantic flights, 24 Chasa said.

BH Air was set up as a private charter airline in 2001. Its main base is in Sofia but in the summer BH Air operates flights from Varna and Burgas to the UK, Italy, Scandinavia and other European countries.