European Commission approved re-introduction of state aid scheme for €35 per seat

The European Commission approved the re-introduction of state aid for tour operators using air carriers with a valid operating license to carry out charter flights to the Republic of Bulgaria for tourism purposes.

The resumption of the State subsidy measure of €35 per seat under Article 26 of the Act on the Measures and Actions During the State of Emergency SA.102193 (2022/N) - Bulgaria COVID-19: State aid for tour operators (re-introduction of scheme SA.58050, as amended by SA.60082 and SA.63497) was approved by European Commission Decision C(2022) 1846 of 22.03.2022.

The measure is a grant aid to provide operating capital for tour operators who carry out organised tourist trips by air to the Republic of Bulgaria.

The subsidy of EUR 35 is for each seat occupied by a person using a tourist service in the Republic of Bulgaria, only for flights with a capacity of at least 100 seats.

The state aid is provided for flights carried out from 01.06.2021 to 14.05.2022 and applications will be accepted from the launching of the scheme on 30.03.2022 to 31.05.2022.

Applications for state aid will be submitted electronically by completing a web-based application form through the Management System of National Investments (NIMS) https://enims.egov.bg, via the “E-application” module.

The application guidelines for this scheme will be published in Bulgarian and English in the Management System of National Investments.