Balkan Bulgarian Airlines
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| Founded | 29 June 1947 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | July 1947 | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 2002 | ||||||
| Hubs | Sofia Airport | ||||||
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| Headquarters | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||||||
Balkan Airlines (Bulgarian: Балкан) was Bulgaria's government-owned flag carrier between 1947 and 2002. During the 1970s, the airliner became a significant European carrier. The company encountered financial instability following the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Despite managing to continue operations, following the start of the 21st century and a controversial privatisation, it declared bankruptcy in 2002. Balkan was liquidated in late October 2002. Bulgaria Air was appointed Balkan's successor in December 2002.
Bulgaria had a short-lived airline (Bunavad) in 1927, yet the country could not afford investing in modern air transport until after World War II. In 1946, the Ministry of Transport and Communications formed an Administration of Air Communications (Bulgarian: Дирекция на въздушните съобщения (ДВС), Direkcia na vazdushnite saobshtenia (DVS)). Since Bulgaria was regarded as a combatant on the defeated Axis side, the DVS could only contract with France for the supply of several Atelier d'Avions Coulombe Toucan aircraft (French-built versions of the Junkers Ju 52). Pending their delivery, Bulgarian airmen flew the nation's first longer air services: several government flights to the peace negotiations in Paris. These flights used German-built Ju 52 aircraft (Bulgarian service designation Сова or Sova, = Owl), delivered before the war to the На Негово Величество Въздушни войски [НВВВ] or His majesty's Air Force, and captured during the war from retreating German forces.
DVS officially launched services under the Bulgarian Air Lines (Bulgarian: Български въздушни линии, Balgarski vazdushni linii) name on 29 June 1947 with a Ju 52 flight from Sofia via Plovdiv to Burgas. Other services soon followed. By the close of the year, the DVS had ordered several Soviet-built Lisunov Li-2 variants of the Douglas DC-3 and at least 13 were operated until 1968. The Soviet forces stationed in Bulgaria took an interest in the DVS and by late 1947 took it into joint ownership as had been done with all airlines of East-European countries formerly allied with Nazi Germany. The resulting airline was called TABSO (Bulgarian: ТАБСО), an acronym for Transportno-aviacionno balgaro-savetsko obedinenie (Bulgarian: Транспортно-авиационно българо-съветско обединение, English: Bulgarian-Soviet Transport Aviation Corporation). The Ju 52s gradually faded from the scene as TABSO re-equipped with Li-2s. These more modern machines allowed the airline to expand services.
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