Flight Delayed or Cancelled in Bulgaria? EU261 Rights for Sofia and the Black Sea
Whether you are leaving Sofia on a city break or flying home from a Black Sea holiday, EU261 sets the rules for delays, cancellations and overbooking on flights from Bulgaria. Summer charter flights from Varna and Burgas are covered too, which many holidaymakers do not realize.
Main airports and airlines in Bulgaria
Sofia (SOF) is the main airport and a large Wizz Air base. The national airline is Bulgaria Air. On the Black Sea coast, Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) are busy with summer charter and holiday flights, and Plovdiv (PDV) handles a smaller number of routes. Ryanair also serves several Bulgarian airports.
When EU261 applies to flights in Bulgaria
Whether EU261 covers you depends on where you departed and who flew you. It generally applies when:
- You depart from an airport in Bulgaria, on any airline. That includes charter and package-holiday flights from Varna and Burgas.
- You fly into Bulgaria from outside the EU on an airline licensed in the EU. For instance, an EU airline flying into Sofia from outside the EU is covered; a non-EU airline on that inbound leg generally is not.
If your flight is part of a package holiday, you may also have separate rights against the tour operator under EU package travel rules.
Delays: care, re-routing and refunds
Waiting triggers the airline's duty of care: meals and refreshments, two calls or emails, and a hotel plus transport if you must stay overnight. It applies after 2 hours for flights of 1,500 km or less (Sofia to Vienna, about 800 km), 3 hours for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km (Sofia to Madrid, about 2,250 km), and 4 hours for longer flights (a long-haul flight over 3,500 km). Once a delay hits 5 hours, you can drop the flight and ask for a refund. A cancelled flight gives you the choice of a refund or re-routing, now or later.
The fixed amounts in the regulation
For arrival delays of 3 hours or more, short-notice cancellations (under 14 days) and denied boarding, the regulation sets €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less, €400 for longer flights within the EU and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 for other flights over 3,500 km, which can be halved in some cases if you arrive within 4 hours of schedule. These are what the regulation sets, not a promise.
Extraordinary circumstances and local disruptions
The main exception is extraordinary circumstances: unsafe weather, ATC restrictions and strikes, security incidents and similar events outside the airline's control. Routine defects and strikes by the airline's own crew have generally not been accepted by the EU Court of Justice. The duty of care continues regardless. Summer peaks at Varna and Burgas mean late-running aircraft can build up delays through the day. Knock-on delays from an earlier flight are generally not extraordinary unless the original cause was. Ask the airline what caused the first delay in the chain.
Where to complain in Bulgaria
Write to the airline first and keep a copy. If that does not resolve it, contact the national enforcement body in the country where the problem happened. Bulgaria's national enforcement body is the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) at the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Sofia. It has a passenger rights section in Bulgarian and English: caa.bg.
Coming in 2027: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends EU261. Most changes apply from 23 October 2027, including a general nine-month deadline for compensation requests. Until then, the current rules above apply.
FAQ
Is my charter flight from Burgas covered by EU261? Yes. EU261 covers flights departing from Bulgaria, including charters sold as part of a package holiday.
My Wizz Air flight from Sofia was delayed 4 hours. What can I ask for? Care while you waited, and possibly the fixed amount set for that distance if the cause was within the airline's control. Ask the airline for the cause in writing.
Who enforces passenger rights in Bulgaria? The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA). Contact the airline first, then the CAA if needed.
Related guides
- EU261 guide (en español)
- Flight cancelled: your options
- Missed connection guide
- All Europe flight delay guides
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