SolitAir, the UAE’s dedicated B2B, airport-to-airport cargo airline, has announced the launch of cargo services to the Vasil Levski Sofia Airport (SOF), Bulgaria, its first destination in the European Union and a milestone route made possible by the carrier’s ACC3 (Air Cargo and Mail Carrier from a Third Country) designation, granted by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority.
The new service connects SolitAir’s hub at Dubai World Central (DWC) directly to South-Eastern Europe, opening a corridor that links the carrier’s established Middle East, Africa and Asia network to the EU single market for the first time.
“Sofia is the first European link in a network we have built city by city across some of the world’s most commercially vital, yet underserved, trade routes. Our ACC3 certification was never just a regulatory milestone; it was the key that would let us connect the markets we already serve to Europe,” noted Hamdi Osman, Founder & CEO, SolitAir.
ACC3 status
The launch follows SolitAir’s receipt of ACC3 status, which authorises the carrier to transport cargo and mail into the European Union and European Economic Area in compliance with EU aviation security requirements.
Combined with its existing UAE GCAA Air Operator’s Certificate and EASA Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation, the designation completes the regulatory foundation required for SolitAir to operate scheduled freighter services into EU airspace.
The airline is targeting fleet growth to 20 aircraft operating from its 20,440-square-metre cargo hub at Dubai World Central (DWC), Al Maktoum International Airport, a press notification concluded.
