Air Serbia and Bulgaria Air have signed a new two-year ACMI agreement for the continued operation of the Bulgarian carrier’s four Embraer E190 aircraft on behalf of the Serbian airline. The deal, reached during a meeting in Belgrade, marks the third wet-lease arrangement between the two companies since 2024. Under the renewed contract, Bulgaria Air’s E190 fleet, registered LZ-SOF, LZ-PLO, LZ-VAR and LZ-BUR, will remain deployed across Air Serbia’s network for the next four flying seasons, covering two winter and two summer schedules. A wet-lease (ACMI) arrangement includes the provision of the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance by the lessor.
The aircraft will continue operating in Bulgaria Air’s livery with its cabin crew sporing the company uniform, while all maintenance will remain carried out in Sofia. Each E190 offers 108 seats, including eight in business class and 100 in economy. “This ongoing partnership further strengthens the close cooperation established more than a decade ago between the national airlines of Bulgaria and Serbia. In 2014, the two carriers introduced a codeshare agreement on the Belgrade – Sofia route, ensuring continued air connectivity between the two capitals”, Bulgaria Air said in a statement.
This winter, the Bulgaria Air-operated E190s are most frequently deployed on services to Frankfurt, with strong utilisation also on routes to Athens, Zurich, Copenhagen, Thessaloniki and Brussels. In total, the aircraft have been scheduled at least once on 31 destinations across Air Serbia’s network during the ongoing winter season. The Serbian carrier previously said the wet-lease arrangement with Bulgaria Air contributes to operational flexibility and supports its broader network ambitions. It also noted that ACMI agreements have played an important role in mitigating industry-wide challenges, including aircraft delivery delays and capacity shortages. Air Serbia recently inked a two-year wet-lease agreement with airBaltic for Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The arrangement covers two jets this winter, increasing to four from the start of the 2026 summer season in late March.
