2026 China to Bulgaria Air Freight Service Comprehensive Information

Air freight from China to Bulgaria, with Turkish Airlines and Bulgarian Compass Cargo Airlines as efficient options, has a transit time of 2-7 days for general cargo and a freight rate of 2.2-4.2/kg, which specifically needs to be confirmed in real-time by freight forwarders.

Airport for air cargo services from China to Bulgaria

There are multiple airports in China that provide air cargo services to Bulgaria. The following are some of the major airports:

Departure Airport	Code	Core Advantages
Guangzhou (CAN)	CAN	Optimal balance, with multiple routes, good prices, and fast delivery times (especially via Belgrade)
Shenzhen (SZX)	SZX	Highly convenient, suitable for shippers in South China, and specializing in Turkish Airlines routes
Hong Kong (HKG)	HKG	It has the most extensive flight routes, strong transport capacity, and strong ability to handle special cargo
Shanghai (PVG)	PVG	East China is the most convenient, with dense flights and strong cargo terminal handling capacity
Beijing (PEK/PKX)	PEK/PKX	North China and Northeast China are the most convenient, with extensive route networks

Main destination airports in Bulgaria:

Sofia Airport (SOF): Bulgaria's busiest international airport, handling most of the air cargo from China, is a major freight hub.
Varna Airport (VAR): A secondary airport that handles some seasonal or specific types of air cargo.
Burgas Airport (BOJ): also handles a small amount of air cargo, especially during peak e-commerce seasons when it may serve as a supplementary channel.

Airlines for Air Cargo Services between China and Bulgaria

There are many airlines that provide air cargo services from China to Bulgaria. The following are some of the major airlines:

Bulgaria Compass Cargo Airlines: On November 2, 2026, Bulgaria Compass Cargo Airlines launched an international cargo route from Zhengzhou to Sofia, Bulgaria, which is the first direct international cargo route to Eastern Europe launched by Zhengzhou Airport. The aircraft type operating this route is the Boeing 747, with 4 flights scheduled per week, mainly transporting goods such as cross-border e-commerce and electronic products.

Turkish Airlines: Flights operate from Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other locations, with transit through Istanbul to airports such as Sofia in Bulgaria, like Flight TK-235, providing services for cargo transportation from China to Bulgaria.

Serbian Airlines: Its Flight JU-115 operates routes departing from Guangzhou, with a transfer in Belgrade, to destinations such as Varna and Sofia in Bulgaria, and can transport general cargo and other goods.

Air China: For example, Flight CA-999 has a route departing from Shenzhen, with transits in Beijing and Munich, and arriving in Sofia, providing air cargo services from China to Bulgaria.

China Southern Airlines: Flight CZ-784 operates a route departing from Guangzhou, with layovers in Amsterdam and other places, and arrives in Sofia, capable of transporting general cargo, etc.

Reference to Major Airlines

Airline / Flight Number	Flight Frequency	Transport Route	Reference Time Limit
JU-115 (Serbian Airlines)	January 5th	CAN-BEG-DEST	2-5 days
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	1/2/3/4/5/6/7	SZX-IST-SOF	3-5 days
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	Daily	CAN-IST-SOF	3-7 days
JU-115 (Serbian Airlines)	January 5th	CAN-BEG-DEST	2-5 days
PO-403 (US Polar Airlines)	Daily	HKG-LEJ-SOF	3-7 days
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	1/2/3/4/5/6/7	HKG-IST or ISL-SOF	3-5 days
CA-999 (Air China)	1/2/3/4/5/6/7	SZX-PEK-MUC-SOF	5-7 days
CZ-784 (China Southern Airlines)	2/3/4/6/7	CAN-PKX-AMS-SOF	5-7 days
CZ-784 (China Southern Airlines)	1/2/3/4/5/6/7	CAN-AMS-SOF	5-7 days

Time required for air freight of goods from China to Bulgarian airports

The time it takes to air freight goods from China to Bulgarian airports varies depending on factors such as the route and whether there are transits. Generally, direct flights take less time, while connecting flights take relatively longer. The overall time is approximately 1 - 7 days, and the details are as follows:

✅ Key Points Extraction
Fastest Routes:Guangzhou → Varna (2–5 days), Guangzhou → Sofia (2–5 days)
Mainstream Choice: Shenzhen/Guangzhou → Sofia (3–7 days)
Departing from Hong Kong: Delivery time is similar to that of Guangzhou, but with more flights, suitable for goods with flexible scheduling
Economy Line:5–7 days, suitable for goods with low timeliness requirements

SOF Sofia

Destination Airport	Departure Airport	Timeliness
VAR Varna	CAN Guangzhou	2-5 days
SZX Shenzhen	3-5 days
CAN Guangzhou	3-7 days
CAN Guangzhou	2-5 days
HKG Hong Kong	3-7 days
HKG Hong Kong	3-5 days
SZX Shenzhen	5-7 days
CAN Guangzhou	5-7 days
CAN Guangzhou	5-7 days

Key factors affecting timeliness

Flight Frequency and Stability: Routes with daily flights (such as via IST) offer more options than routes with 2-3 flights per week (such as via BEG), and have a relatively lower risk of flight delays or cancellations.

Transfer Efficiency:Ground handling efficiency varies among different transfer airports. Large hubs such as IST and AMS have fast processing speeds, but may also experience congestion due to high cargo volumes.

Customs clearance documents: Incorrect or incomplete documents are the primary cause of delays. Invoices, packing lists, product information, etc. must be accurate.

Nature of Goods:Special goods (such as batteries, liquids, and pharmaceuticals) require additional certification and inspection procedures, which will significantly increase the time for operation and customs clearance.

Peak Season Factor: Holidays (such as before Christmas and after Singles' Day) are peak seasons for air freight, during which flight capacity is tight, airport processing speed slows down, and overall delivery time generally extends.

Force Majeure:Events such as adverse weather, strikes, and air traffic control will directly affect flight takeoffs and landings.

Note: Actual delivery time may be affected by factors such as weather, customs clearance, peak seasons, etc. It is recommended to consult the freight forwarder in advance for confirmation!

Freight charter flights from China by air to Bulgaria's airport

There are quite a few chartered cargo flights from China to Bulgarian airports. The following is a detailed introduction:
Airline: Bulgaria Compass Cargo Airlines.
Departure Airport: Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.
Destination airport: Sofia Airport, Bulgaria.
Route: Zhengzhou - Sofia - Liege.
Opening time: November 2, 2026.
Flight Frequency: Scheduled to operate 4 flights per week.
Carried Goods: Mainly transports electronic products and cross-border e-commerce goods.
Air freight capacity: Approximately 360 tons of air freight capacity can be provided per week.
Features of charter flight services

Features	Description
Flexibility	It can freely choose takeoff and landing times, airports (subject to conditions), and routes to meet emergency transportation needs.
Capacity Assurance	Exclusive use of the entire aircraft space solves the transportation challenges of oversized, overweight, and special goods (such as precision equipment, live animals, and pharmaceuticals).
Timeliness	It is the fastest, omitting transit time and enabling "door-to-door" express delivery.
High cost	The price is very expensive, usually several times or even dozens of times that of ordinary air freight.
Complex process	It involves cross-border approvals, capacity coordination, ground support, etc., and requires professional charter agents to handle.
Minimum shipping quantity	Usually has a minimum weight or volume requirement to achieve economy.

Operation Process

Requirement Confirmation: Provide cargo volume/weight/category
Route Approval: Record with the Civil Aviation Administration of Bulgaria (3-5 working days required)
Ground service: includes security check at Chinese airports + pre-clearance at Bulgarian customs

Reference for air freight prices from China to Bulgaria's airports

The price of air freight from China to Bulgarian airports varies depending on factors such as the departure airport, airline, and cargo weight. The following are some reference prices:
The cost of air charter from Fujian to Bulgaria is generally around $10 - $15 per kilogram, and the specific cost needs to be estimated based on the actual situation such as the weight, volume of the goods, fuel surcharge, airport fees, customs clearance fees, etc.
Price Reference for Popular Routes

Airline / Flight Number	45KG+（CNY）	300KG+（CNY）	500KG+（CNY）	1000KG+（CNY）	Estimated Total Price (CNY)	Price Type
JU-115 (Serbian Airlines)	¥48.73	¥45.60	¥42.84	¥41.80	¥7,700.00	Reference Price
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	--	¥38.90	¥38.00	¥36.90	¥35.90	¥6,706.00
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	--	¥40.00	¥38.84	¥37.30	¥36.30	¥6,808.00
JU-115 (Serbian Airlines)	¥48.73	¥42.00	¥38.84	¥37.30	¥35.80	¥7,032.00
PO-403 (US Polar Airlines)	¥62.56	¥51.15	¥44.29	¥42.28	¥41.00	¥8,161.62
TK-235 (Turkish Airlines)	¥139.95	¥55.71	¥48.08	¥45.36	¥44.11	¥9,030.01
CA-999 (Air China)	--	¥111.50	¥54.34	¥42.10	¥33.90	¥13,065.50
CZ-784 (China Southern Airlines)	--	¥126.40	¥65.64	¥52.88	¥44.09	¥15,312.50
CZ-784 (China Southern Airlines)	¥235.43	¥127.10	¥67.34	¥54.78	¥45.14	¥15,529.90

Air freight prices from some Chinese airports to Bulgarian airports in September 2025

Air freight prices from Guangzhou to Bulgaria Airport are approximately between $2.5 and $4.0 per kilogram.

The air freight price from Shanghai to Bulgaria Airport is approximately between $2.2 and $3.9 per kilogram.

Air freight prices from Beijing to Bulgaria Airport are approximately between $2.8 and $3.5 per kilogram.

Air freight prices from Henan to Bulgaria Airport are approximately between $2.7 and $4.0 per kilogram.

Air freight prices from Zhejiang toBulgaria Airportare approximately between $3.3 and $4.1 per kilogram.

Air freight prices from Fujian to Bulgaria Airport are approximately between $3.2 and $4.2 per kilogram.