Hemus Air (Bulgarian title: Хемус Ер) is a non-operating subsidiary airline of Bulgaria Air based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Previously it operated scheduled domestic and international services from Sofia and Varna, as well as charter, cargo and air ambulance services. Its main base was Sofia Airport, with a hub at Varna Airport.Flight International 3 April 2007
History Hemus Air, named after the ancient name for the Balkan mountains, was owned by Varna-based industrial/financial enterprise TIM.Airliner World January 2007 The airline was established in 1986 as an autonomous unit of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines and started operations in 1987. It initially operated ambulance services, flight calibration and aerial photography and, from December 1990, also schedules. In 1996, it became a separate legal entity of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines. Hemus Air was privatized by Bulgarian investors in 2002 faced stiff competition from foreign carriers, as well as the newly established successor of Balkan, Bulgaria Air.
Hemus Air's management pledged to unite the major Bulgarian airlines and was selected as the preferred bidder for the sale of Bulgaria Air by the Bulgarian government. In November 2006, Balkan Hemus Group sealed a deal to purchase Bulgaria Air with a 99.99% share of the airline for €6.6 million. The new airline would operate under the Bulgaria Air brand.Balkan Hemus Group wins tender to buy national flag carrier, Bulgaria Air Hemus promised to invest a further €86m over the next five years and in 2007 began to coordinate the schedules and operations with Bulgaria Air. As of February 2009, all Hemus aircraft were operating for the nes parent company, Bulgaria Air. This latter absorbed assets and operations in early 2010s.
Destinations All Hemus Air destinations are now operated under the commercial brand of Bulgaria Air.
Fleet
The Hemus Air fleet includes the following aircraft (at July 2012):
+ Hemus Air fleetAircraftTotalPassengersRoutesNotesAirbus A319-1002144Short-Medium haulEurope and Middle EastOperating for Bulgaria Air.ATR 42-300146Short haulBalkansStored at Sofia Airport.Avro RJ70126 Short haul VIPOperating private and VIP charters.BAe146-200390Short-Medium haulEuropeOperating for Bulgaria Air, 2 are stored at Sofia Airport.BAe146-3003110Short haul EuropeOperating for Bulgaria Air,Total10
Most of these aircraft are operating for Bulgaria Air until the two airlines merge; then they will all be transferred to Bulgaria Air's fleet.
Retired fleet Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737-400 Tupolev Tu-134 Tupolev Tu-154 Yakovlev Yak-40 Let L-410 Turbolet
Accidents and incidents On 2 August 1988, Yak-40 LZ-DOK failed to get airborne and crashed after it overran the runway at Sofia Airport, killing 29 of 37 on board. All civil traffic had been halted at Sofia Airport to allow Todor Zhivkov's Tu-154 to take off. But the Tu-154 was delayed, so ATC cleared the Yak-40 to take off "as quickly as possible". In their haste, the crew forgot to set the trim correctly. Hemus Air Flight 7081 was hijacked en route from Beirut International Airport to Varna on 3 September 1996. The hijacker, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, allowed the 150 passengers to leave the aircraft at Varna and he and the eight crew members continued to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen where he gave up. He initially claimed that he only wanted to seek asylum, but he later claimed he was under orders to crash the aircraft into Oslo.
Notes
References
External links
Bulgaria Air