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| Founded | 1999 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2010, merged into Bulgaria Air | |||
| Hubs | Sofia Airport Varna Airport |
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| Fleet size | 13 | |||
| Destinations | ||||
| Headquarters | Sofia, Bulgaria | |||
| Website | Hemus Air | |||
Hemus Air (Bulgarian title: Хемус Ер) was an airline based in Sofia, Bulgaria. 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.[1] After the acquisition of Bulgaria Air, all of Hemus Air's destinations are now under the plate of Bulgaria Air.
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Hemus Air, named after the ancient name for the Balkan mountains, is owned by Varna-based industrial/financial enterprise TIM.[2] The airline was established and started operations in 1986, when it branched off from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines. It initially operated as a separate department providing ambulance services, flight calibration and aerial photography. In 1996 it became a separate legal entity from Balkan and was named Hemus Air.[1] The company was privatized by Bulgarian corporate investors in 2002 and has since 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. Hemus acquired a 99.9% stake in the flag carrier, reportedly for Euro 6.6m and a promise to invest a further €86m over the next five years. Hemus and Bulgaria Air have already started codesharing on the Sofia-Berlin Tegel route, coordinating their schedules and operations early in 2007. Hemus Air received some aircraft from Bulgaria Air.
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 will operate under the Bulgaria Air brand. [3]
As of February 2009, all Hemus Air aircraft are operating for the parent company, Bulgaria Air.
All Hemus Air destinations are now operated under the commercial brand of Bulgaria Air.
The Hemus Air fleet includes the following aircraft (at 25 February 2010): [4][5]
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Routes | Registrations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 2 | 144 | Short-Medium haul Europe and Middle East |
LZ-FBA / FBB | Operating for Bulgaria Air (FBA/FBB) |
| ATR 42-300 | 2 | 46/48 | Short haul Balkans |
LZ-ATR / ATS | Operating for Athens Airways (ATR/ATS) |
| Avro RJ70 | 1 | 26 | Short haul VIP | LZ-TIM | Operating for TIM Holding (TIM) |
| BAe146-200 | 3 | 90 | Short-Medium haul Europe |
HBB / HBC / HBZ | 2 operating for Bulgaria Air (HBB/HBC) 1 operating for Taban Air (HBZ) |
| BAe146-300 | 4 | 110 | Short haul Europe |
LZ-HBD / HBE / HBF / HBG | 3 operating for Bulgaria Air (HBE/HBF/HBG) 1 operating for Taban Air (HBD) |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | - | Short haul Europe |
LZ-HVB | Operating for Bulgaria Air (HVB) |
| Total | 14 |
Most of these aircraft are operating for Bulgaria Air until the two airline's merge, then they will all be transferred to Bulgaria Air's fleet.
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