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Flight compensation in Bulgaria: delays, cancellations and how to claim

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Bulgaria’s busiest airports were Sofia, Burgas and Varna; Burgas and Varna serve the Black Sea coast. EU261 covers every departure from Bulgaria, whatever the airline, and flights to Bulgaria from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland when an airline licensed in one of those countries operates them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

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In short: Every flight departing from Bulgaria is covered by EU261, whatever the airline: €250–€600 per passenger for a delay of 3 hours or more at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days’ notice or denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Flights into Bulgaria from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration (Ministry of Transport and Communications) or an ADR body, and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Bulgaria to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to BulgariaEU261Any airline
From the UK to BulgariaUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to BulgariaEU261EU airlines only

Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must also provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight; after a cancellation or a 5-hour delay you can choose a refund. Care and refunds.

Check your flight from Bulgaria

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What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How much: example routes from Bulgaria

Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Sofia – Vienna804 km€250€250
Sofia – Frankfurt1,398 km€250€250
Sofia – Milan Bergamo Orio al Serio1,140 km€250€250
Sofia – Munich1,101 km€250€250
Sofia – Istanbul467 km€250€250 (an EU airline)
Sofia – Barcelona El Prat1,766 km€400€400
Sofia – Eindhoven1,670 km€400€400
Sofia – Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas2,248 km€400€400
Sofia – Brussels Charleroi1,680 km€400€400
Sofia – Athens531 km€250€250

How to claim in Bulgaria

  1. Claim from the airline in writing – its online form or a letter (complaint letter generator). Keep your booking, boarding pass and receipts.
  2. National enforcement body: Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration (Ministry of Transport and Communications) It deals with flights departing from Bulgaria, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Alternative dispute resolution: The Sectoral Conciliation Commission for air transport disputes at the Consumer Protection Commission (KZP): voluntary, free for both parties, and it aims to end with a settlement proposal within 90 days.
  4. Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.

Prefer not to do it yourself? A claims company does the work for a share of the compensation – see claim companies compared.

Airports in Bulgaria

Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to Bulgaria · European delay statistics.

Strikes in Bulgaria

No strikes affecting flights in Bulgaria are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.

Strike days at Bulgaria’s airports since 2024

EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Bulgaria’s airports between January 2024 and 30 September 2026. Strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere and by airline staff are not included. Check a specific day.

Good to know

  • The KZP’s conciliation commission for air transport is free, which makes it a low-risk step before court if an airline refuses your claim.
  • Sofia had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data.
  • Flights from Burgas and Varna are EU departures, so EU261 applies whatever the airline and wherever you are flying – including to the UK.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Bulgaria?

Under EU261, €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km (and for every flight within the EU over 1,500 km) and €600 for longer flights (€300 if a long-haul flight arrives 3–4 hours late), per passenger, if you arrive 3 hours or more late and the airline cannot prove extraordinary circumstances. It does not matter where you live – only where you flew from, where to, and with which airline.

Where do I complain in Bulgaria if the airline refuses to pay?

To Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration (Ministry of Transport and Communications), the national enforcement body for Bulgaria. It handles complaints about flights departing from Bulgaria and flights arriving there from outside the EU. Alternative dispute resolution: The Sectoral Conciliation Commission for air transport disputes at the Consumer Protection Commission (KZP): voluntary, free for both parties, and it aims to end with a settlement proposal within 90 days.

How long do I have to claim in Bulgaria?

The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Bulgaria. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration (Ministry of Transport and Communications) or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.

I live in Bulgaria but my flight left from another country. Where can I claim?

Your rights depend on the flight, not on where you live. For a flight between two EU countries you can sue in the courts for the place of departure or the place of arrival (CJEU C-204/08 Rehder); for cross-border cases the European Small Claims Procedure works by post and online. The enforcement body to complain to is the one in the country where the incident happened.

Information only, not legal advice. Enforcement bodies and dispute schemes as listed by the European Commission, checked November 2026.

Sources

  1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
  2. Какви са видовете помирителни комисии – Комисия за защита на потребителите (KZP)
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  5. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  6. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  7. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  8. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  9. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  10. C-204/08 Rehder v Air Baltic (jurisdiction: place of departure or arrival) – EUR-Lex

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.