Ryanair to Plovdiv??

[Missizippi]

In Sofia Echo yesterday.

http://sofiaecho.com/2010/03/24/878350_ryanair-plans-to-open-direct-link-with-plovdiv

Budget air carrier Ryanair is contemplating starting a direct link with Bulgaria's second-largest city, Plovdiv. In April 2010, company representatives are scheduled to arrive to make a final decision on the matter, according to Doichin Angelov, director of Plovdiv airport, according to a media statement on March 24 2010.

The Ryanair delegation is expected to arrive in Bulgaria on April 6 and will remain in the country until April 15.

"They will meet with the Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov and subsequently will travel to Plovdiv, where we are to finalise our potential agreement with them," Angelov said in the statement.

Ryanair has been showing interest in Bulgaria for several years. But as airport taxes are poised to become three times cheaper than those at Sofia as of April 1, the reality for the line to be launched becomes ever more real.

A forum between the Plovdiv municipal administration and the Bulgarian-Catalan chamber of commerce BGCAT was held in Plovdiv on March 23.

Meanwhile, Sofia Airport said that Danish budget carrier Cimber Sterling will link Copenhagen and Sofia and flights will be conducted biweekly, on Thursdays and Sundays, Dnevnik reported. Currently there is no direct flight to the Danish capital. The flights will start on March 28.

Bulgaria Air used to fly Copenhagen, but the service was withdrawn in 2006.

[GeezerDan]

Hi Missizippi

Found the following too...

http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2010-04-10&article=32729

Flights from Europe to Plovdiv Cost EUR 1

Flights from the biggest European capitals to the city of Plovdiv will cost only 1 euro. The offer comes from Ryanair which services about 63 million passengers a year. The airlines now negotiates regular flights to Plovdiv. As of May 1, the reduction by 50% of the airport taxes comes into force. It was approved by Bulgaria's cabinet and will be valid for 2 years.

Also, Frannie emailed the Commercial & Marketing Manager - Plovdiv Airport EAD and received the following:

Ryanair representatives will travel to Bulgaria at the end of May to meet with the Minister of Transport. This will be followed by a visit to Plovdiv Airport. I consider we will have some clear position of the airline in regards of services to Plovdiv in the beginning of June.

Things are looking up for flights to Plovdiv!

Dan.

[Missizippi]

Getting closer http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=116610 but still nothing official from Ryanair.
Latest rumour is that it will be Stansted and Bristol that they are flying from. Its ok for all you southerners!!   

[GeezerDan]

http://sofiaecho.com/2010/05/28/907775_ryanair-to-launch-flights-to-bulgarias-plovdiv

One of Europe's largest low-cost airlines, Ryanair, plans to start flying to and from Bulgaria’s second largest city of Plovdiv in September 2010, Bulgaria's Deputy Economy and Tourism Minister Ivo Marinov was quoted as saying by Bulgarian-language media.
 
But to launch flights to Bulgaria, Ryanair asked for lower landing fees charged by the country's airports, Marinov said during a discussion in Parliament on the topic of Bulgarian tourism. It was a demand that the Cabinet was now considering for the less-used Plovdiv airport, at least for a period of two years.
 
Plovdiv would be Ryanair’s first destination in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian-language Dnevnik daily also quoted Ivelina Grozdeva of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association as saying that Ryanair should be allowed to also operate flights to Sofia, Bourgas and Varna.

Still nothing from Ryanair though!