Bulgaria Air Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Claim EU261 Compensation Up to €400
Bulgaria Air (IATA: FB) is Bulgaria's national carrier, operating from Sofia Airport (SOF) to destinations across Europe and the Middle East. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, making Bulgaria Air a full EU carrier subject to EU Regulation 261/2004. Delays of 3+ hours, cancellations, and denied boarding entitle you to fixed cash compensation of €250–400 per passenger.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria: 3-year claim window
Bulgarian law provides a 3-year statute of limitationsfor EU261 claims. A delayed Sofia departure from 2023 is still claimable in 2026. For Bulgaria Air flights departing from other EU countries (London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam), that country's SOL applies — for UK flights, 6 years.
Sofia–London is Bulgaria Air's most important route
The Sofia–London route serves one of Europe's largest Bulgarian diaspora communities. At ~2,600 km, delays of 3+ hours entitle passengers to €400 per person. If your flight departed from London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), or London Stansted (STN), UK law gives you 6 years to claim — so 2020 flights are still claimable.
Am I eligible?
Compensation amounts
| Flight distance | Example Bulgaria Air routes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | Sofia–Istanbul, Sofia–Athens, Sofia–Bucharest, Sofia–Belgrade | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | Sofia–London (~2,600 km), Sofia–Frankfurt (~1,800 km), Sofia–Madrid (~2,600 km) | €400 |
How to claim Bulgaria Air EU261 compensation
- 1
File directly with Bulgaria Air
Submit your EU261 claim via Bulgaria Air's customer service. Include your booking reference (PNR), FB flight number, scheduled and actual arrival times, and number of passengers.
Bulgaria Air passenger rights → - 2
Escalate to Civil Aviation Authority Bulgaria
Bulgaria's Civil Aviation Authority (Главна дирекция "Гражданска въздухоплавателна администрация" — CAA BG) is the national EU261 enforcement body. File a complaint if Bulgaria Air rejects or does not respond within 30 days.
CAA Bulgaria passenger rights → - 3
Use a no-win no-fee service
AirHelp handles Bulgaria Air claims and takes ~25% only if successful. Particularly useful for London-based Bulgarian passengers with UK law on their side (6-year window).
Check via AirHelp →
Bulgaria Air denial tactics to watch for
- →"Technical fault" as extraordinary circumstances — aircraft maintenance is not extraordinary; courts consistently reject this across Europe
- →Only small carriers — Bulgaria Air is a smaller airline and may respond slowly; escalate to CAA Bulgaria after 30 days with no meaningful reply
- →Measuring delay from departure — EU261 measures delay at the final destination gate, not at the departure airport
- →Offering flight vouchers instead of cash — you are entitled to cash payment under EU261
- →UK departure passengers — if you flew from a UK airport on Bulgaria Air, UK law (6-year window) gives you longer than Bulgarian SOL; claim in the UK
Find past Bulgaria Air delays in your inbox
SubRadar scans your Gmail or Outlook for Bulgaria Air booking emails and flags disrupted flights within the 3-year claim window — or 6 years for UK departure flights.
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