Dubai's SolitAir launches first EU cargo route to Sofia

Dubai-based cargo airline SolitAir has launched cargo services to Sofia, marking its first destination within the European Union, the carrier reported in a social media post.

The route connecting Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport and Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport provides direct access to Southeast Europe and connects SolitAir's existing network, which spans the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with the EU market, CE Report quotes BTA.

The launch is made possible by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority, which authorizes the company to transport cargo and mail into the EU and the European Economic Area.

SolitAir founder and CEO Hamdi Osman said, as quoted by International Transport Journal, that Sofia was not simply a new dot on the map, but the first European link in a network the company had built city by city across some of the world's most commercially vital, yet underserved, trade routes.

Sofia occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, with established road and rail links into the EU's wider single market. The city has developed into a regional logistics and manufacturing base, with growing demand for time-critical air freight spanning e-commerce, automotive components, pharmaceuticals and perishables - sectors that align closely with SolitAir's existing cargo specializations, the company reported.

The new route enables European freight forwarders, integrators, and e-commerce companies to gain direct access to the carrier's expanded network, which also includes the Indian subcontinent, Central Asian countries, and China.

SolitAir operates a fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 BCF freighters, each with 20-tonne cargo capacity, and is targeting fleet growth to 20 aircrafts.

Photo: Instagram