Balkan (1995/1996)

La evolución de las aerolíneas de los países ex-comunistas europeos tras la caída del muro de Berlín es bastante interesante, aunque no siempre (casi nunca, en realidad) con final feliz para estas empresas.

Como sabréis, Balkan era la antigua aerolínea estatal búlgara.En el año 96 estaba en un periodo de transición tanto a nivel de flota (habían incorporado el 767, el 737-500 y el A320 junto con viejos modelos de fabricación soviética) como de organización de su red,  que incluía vuelos de larga distancia a Bangkok, Nueva York o Nairobi. Algunos vuelos se operaban en código compartido con Hemus Air, una filial que operaba en los 90 como segunda compañía nacional.

Como curiosidad, Air Koryo volaba a Sofia y de hecho utilizaba esta escala como punto de entrada al continente europeo.

✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈ ✈✈✈

Airlines in former communist European rules had to face very interesting events after the Berlin Wall felt, even if there was no happy ending for most of this companies. 

As you may well know, Balkan was the former State owned Bulgarian carrier. It was restructuring its fleet in 1996, using some 767 for longhaul services (they were used in longhaul flights to Nairobi, New York and Bagkok), A320 and 737-500, as well as a mix of older Soviet-build planes. The whole route network was being reshaped, and some flights were actually operated as Hemus Air codeshares. Hemus Air was a smaller airline owned by Balkan which acted as a second arm national airline. 

Air Koyro, by the way, flew at the time to Sofia and it seems that this airport was an European gateway for the North Korean airline.