Cargo Air is a long-established Bulgarian cargo airline founded in 1997, with its head office and main operating base in the Cargo Air Building in the cargo area of Sofia Airport. It has no published IATA two-letter code; its ICAO code is CGF and its radio call sign is CLEVER. It flies Boeing 737 freighters on European regional scheduled and charter services and is one of the more established all-cargo operators in the Balkans and Southeast Europe. Chinese exports currently connect through hubs such as Istanbul (IST) and Liege (LGG) to Sofia (SOF) and are distributed onward in Europe; capacity and schedules are subject to carrier confirmation on the booking day.
Cargo Air is a Bulgarian cargo airline founded in 1997, with its operating head office and main base in the Cargo Air Building in the cargo area of Sofia Airport; Plovdiv has also served as a base in the past. It has no published IATA two-letter code; its ICAO code is CGF, its radio call sign is CLEVER and its official site is cargoair.bg. Cargo Air is one of the few Bulgarian carriers still operating freighters, mainly on European regional scheduled services and cargo charters, with a network focused on the Balkans and Southeast Europe.
Operations have run in two phases. From 1997 to 2007 Cargo Air flew regional cargo with about 6 Antonov An-12 turboprop freighters, building freighter experience on Middle East, Eastern European and CIS routes. From 2008 it introduced its first converted Boeing 737-300SF and progressively moved to Boeing 737 jets; the current fleet is made up of 737-300SF, 737-400F and 737-800SF aircraft, with identifiable registrations including LZ-CGQ, LZ-CGA and LZ-CGB. The total is about 7 to 8 aircraft, and the number on the register and airworthiness status follow the current information on the website.
For Chinese shippers, Cargo Air matters as a regional all-cargo carrier in Southeast Europe, providing final trunk and regional distribution capacity for Sofia and nearby markets. No scheduled direct route from China to Bulgaria is publicly operated by the airline; Chinese exports generally reach large European cargo hubs such as Istanbul (IST) and Liege (LGG) on an operating carrier, then arrive at Sofia (SOF) by connecting flight or road, after which Cargo Air 737 freighters or regional capacity distribute to points across the Balkans and Southeast Europe. Chinese shippers can contact its local agent in China, or ask us, Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight), to coordinate commercial and capacity access.
Bulgaria sits in the eastern Balkans and is one of the gateways for Chinese goods entering Southeast European markets. Sofia is the capital and largest economic centre, and Sofia Airport is the country's main international air cargo gateway; Plovdiv is the second city and a manufacturing centre, and Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea handle regional trade and transhipment. Chinese exports to Bulgaria and its neighbours are mainly machinery and electrical products, electronics and appliances, auto parts, mechanical equipment, textiles and garments, furniture and household goods, and consumer goods. These are sensitive to transit time and capacity stability, and suit carriage through a large European hub with a regional freighter connection.
Cargo Air operates Boeing 737 narrowbody freighters, and its range and aircraft characteristics make it better suited to short and medium regional trunks and final connections than to long intercontinental sectors. That fits the routing of Chinese cargo through European hubs: long sectors run on widebody freighters or passenger bellies, and after arrival at hubs such as Istanbul and Liege, regional carriers such as Cargo Air complete the short and medium distribution inside Europe, giving a structure of trunk plus regional connection. At the planning stage we combine long-haul trunk capacity with the Cargo Air regional sector according to destination city, weight and volume, and transit time requirement.
Cargo Air has no published scheduled route or direct office in China, and its China business is connection-based: Chinese cargo reaches Europe through hubs such as Istanbul and Liege and then moves on the airline's 737 freighters to Sofia and the Southeast European region. We handle the whole connection for exports from China to Bulgaria, including trunk booking, hub handover, regional freighter confirmation and clearance coordination at destination.
Sofia Airport is Bulgaria's international cargo gateway. Cargo entering there can move on regional flights and the road network to Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Hungary and other nearby markets, covering consumer and manufacturing demand across the Balkans and Southeast Europe.
Cargo Air's official site is cargoair.bg (plain domain, not a link). Its head office and operating base are in the Cargo Air Building in the cargo area of Sofia Airport, and cargo sales are handled by its Sofia head office team. The airline has no published direct cargo office in China and no public direct sales channel for the Chinese market; demand from China is handled through agents.
Exporters shipping to Bulgaria and Southeast Europe can have the requirement assessed and arranged by us. We deal with the carrier's commercial team and with ground agents at hubs such as Sofia, Istanbul and Liege on capacity and handling; requirements can be submitted through our website goodhope86.com, and we complete the booking, transit tracking and clearance coordination.
The airline has no published office of its own in China; contact its local agent in China or work through us. Contact points change with the carrier's business arrangements and are confirmed on the day of booking.
Cargo Air's active fleet is the Boeing 737 all-cargo family, made up of 737-300SF passenger-to-freighter conversions, 737-400F factory freighters and 737-800SF conversions, a typical narrowbody regional cargo fleet. 737 freighters are widely used in the European regional cargo market: they offer flexible airfield performance, fast ground turnaround and moderate unit operating cost, and suit short and medium-haul trunk and feeder sectors. The airline introduced its first 737-300SF in 2008, having operated about 6 An-12 turboprop freighters between 1997 and 2007, so the fleet has been fully renewed from turboprops to jet freighters.
| Aircraft type | Positioning | Freight characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300SF | Passenger-to-freighter narrowbody, about 1 aircraft (registration LZ-CGQ) | In service since 2008 on European short and medium-haul cargo flights and charters; the hold suits a mix of pallets and loose cargo. |
| Boeing 737-400F | Factory-built narrowbody freighter, about 6 aircraft | Fuselage-stretched narrowbody freighter with more main deck volume and payload than the -300, and the main type on regional cargo flights. |
| Boeing 737-800SF | Newer passenger-to-freighter conversions (registrations LZ-CGA, LZ-CGB and others) | Newer generation narrowbody freighter with better fuel efficiency and hold volume, used on regional trunk services and charters. |
| Antonov An-12 / AN-12 (historic) | In service 1997–2007, about 6 aircraft | Four-engine turboprop freighter that flew regional cargo toward the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the CIS; now out of the main fleet. |
The main deck door dimensions and floor load of the 737 narrowbody freighter make it a good match for the palletised general cargo, e-commerce shipments and medium-sized machinery and electrical products common in Chinese exports; oversized or overweight pieces must be checked against the door and cabin dimensions shipment by shipment. Cargo from China to Bulgaria travels the long-haul leg on a widebody freighter or in passenger belly capacity to a European hub, then transfers to a Cargo Air 737 for the regional leg; the transfer and handover are handled by the hub ground agent and we track every node.
Fleet numbers and registrations are compiled from public sources and come to about 7 to 8 aircraft; the actual registered count, airworthiness status and types flown change with the operating plan and are subject to the current publication at cargoair.bg and carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Cargo Air has no published scheduled cargo route to China and no operating station at any Chinese airport. Chinese exports connect to the airline mainly through a long-haul trunk service from a major Chinese gateway to a European hub such as Istanbul or Liège, followed by a regional sector from the hub to Sofia and Southeastern Europe: the long-haul leg is flown by an operating international carrier and the regional leg by Cargo Air 737 freighters or its partner regional capacity.
| Connection points | Typical use | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| China to Istanbul IST trunk | Cargo for Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea | Frequent trunk services from Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong to Istanbul, connecting on arrival to the regional sector toward Sofia. |
| China to Liège LGG trunk | European distribution, e-commerce and time-critical cargo | Liège is a major European air cargo hub with ample freighter capacity from China, and cargo is distributed to Sofia and the Balkans after arrival. |
| Sofia SOF regional distribution | Bulgaria and neighboring destinations | After arrival in Sofia, Cargo Air regional freighters or ground capacity carry cargo onward toward Romania, Serbia and Greece. |
| Charter and full-aircraft assessment | Batch, seasonal or special cargo | Charter feasibility for a 737 freighter is assessed from the cargo parameters, then executed once the carrier confirms aircraft and routing. |
There is currently no Cargo Air cargo flight from China direct to Bulgaria; the whole journey connects through a third-country hub. Actual carrier, schedule and rate are confirmed on the day of booking, and times are local.
The main East China gateway, with dense long-haul services toward Istanbul and Liège; suits consolidated shipments of machinery and electrical products, electronics and batch general cargo.
Core gateways for South China manufacturing; consumer electronics, auto parts and furniture move easily, and Shenzhen cargo can be trucked to a Hong Kong warehouse for tendering.
A complete international cargo network with ample freighter and belly capacity to Europe, suited to consolidated heavy cargo and time-critical shipments.
North and Central China gateways with capacity toward Europe, suited to nearby origins in those regions and to cold-chain and e-commerce distribution.
With Sofia (SOF) as the regional gateway, Chinese exports leave via Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen or Hong Kong, reach a large European cargo hub such as Istanbul (IST) or Liège (LGG), connect to Sofia on a Cargo Air 737 freighter regional sector, and then distribute to Bucharest, Budapest, Varna and other Southeastern European points. The diagram shows the network structure; node positions and links are not to geographic scale.
Istanbul sits at the junction of Europe and Asia and is the traditional gateway for Chinese cargo into Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea region; Liège sits in the heart of Europe and is one of the largest air cargo hubs for European e-commerce and express volumes. The two paths differ: Istanbul is closer to Bulgaria and the Black Sea, while Liège makes further distribution within Europe easier. Cargo Air regional days of operation change with its operating plan, and actual schedules change with the season and are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
Cargo Air focuses on European regional cargo flights and charters, with a network covering Bulgaria itself and reaching into the Balkans and neighboring Southeastern European countries. Chinese shippers exporting to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, northern Greece or southern Hungary can all clear and distribute through the Sofia gateway. We choose the European hub with the smoothest connection for the destination market and set out the transit time, rate and capacity differences of each option.
There is no Cargo Air cargo flight direct from China to Bulgaria. The feasible routings from China to Sofia SOF are below, arranged by weight, dimensions and transit time; actual carrier and schedule are confirmed on the day of booking.
| Path | Origin China | Transit hub | Regional carrier | Indicative transit time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Via Istanbul | Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong | Istanbul IST | Cargo Air CGF and regional capacity | About 6–9 days |
| Via Liège | Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong | Liege LGG | Cargo Air CGF and regional capacity | About 7–10 days |
| Distribution through the Sofia gateway | Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing | Sofia SOF | Cargo Air CGF | Regional leg 1–3 days after arrival |
| Full charter assessment | Tailored to volume | Assessed per routing | Cargo Air 737 freighter | Scheduled per charter plan |
Airport-to-airport reference transit is about 6 to 10 working days, and door to door including inland pickup in China, export clearance, Bulgarian clearance and delivery is usually about 9 to 15 days. These figures are the forwarder industry reference; hub connections, peak-season capacity and customs inspection can all change actual arrival, and schedules change with the season and with carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
The Istanbul connection is closer to Bulgaria and the Black Sea and suits destinations such as Sofia and Varna; Liège suits e-commerce and batch cargo that needs a second distribution step inside Europe. We combine the options according to shipping date and transit requirement and explain the rate differences.
Cargo Air regional cargo flights run to its operating plan and no year-round fixed schedule for the China market is published; times are local, schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Cargo Air is a continuously operating all-cargo carrier in Bulgaria, flying Balkan and Southeastern European regional cargo from its Sofia base, and is the regional capacity option for Chinese cargo entering Bulgaria and neighboring markets.
Boeing 737 freighters offer flexible airfield performance and fast turnaround, suit European short and medium-haul trunk and feeder sectors, connect efficiently with long-haul China to Europe services, and fit batch general cargo and e-commerce shipments.
The airline combines regional cargo flights with charters; for seasonal, project or time-sensitive cargo, a full 737 charter can be assessed from the cargo parameters, with aircraft and routing confirmed per shipment.
Chinese cargo can enter Europe through either Istanbul or Liège, one closer to Southeastern Europe and the other better for distribution in the European heartland, so capacity and connection options are broad and the path can be switched in peak season.
| Cargo categories | Notes | China export reference |
|---|---|---|
| General cargo | Machinery and electrical products, electronics, furniture, textiles and apparel, and other general air cargo | Common export categories from China to Bulgaria, booked and palletised through the standard process. |
| Heavy cargo in bulk | Auto parts, machinery and metal products, assessed against main deck capacity | Batch cargo is calculated against 737 main deck volume and payload, which suits consolidated shipment. |
| E-commerce and time-critical cargo | Cross-border e-commerce parcels and time-critical orders needing dependable transit | Connected via e-commerce hubs such as Liège, with fast regional distribution. |
| High-value cargo | Precision instruments, telecom equipment and medical devices, with securing and monitoring arranged | High-value cargo is declared per shipment, and we follow loading and handover. |
| Dangerous goods | Battery-powered products and chemicals are accepted under IATA dangerous goods rules | Compliant declaration documents are required, and acceptance conditions should be confirmed at the booking stage. |
| Oversize and overweight cargo | Large equipment assessed against 737 door size and floor load | Assessed in advance from piece dimensions and weight; charters are considered when regular capacity is not enough. |
Cargo Air's history goes back to 1997, making it one of the longer-established cargo airlines in Bulgaria. It built freighter experience toward the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the CIS in the An-12 era and expanded European regional cargo and charter work after moving to the Boeing 737. On tracking, waybill milestones on the international leg can be checked in the carrier system and with our customer service, and we report distribution status after the regional leg lands.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 and Sofia airport is a customs point inside the EU customs territory, so Chinese cargo cleared in Sofia can move freely within the EU to Romania, Greece, Hungary and other neighboring markets. That location has practical value for Chinese exporters planning to use Bulgaria as an entry point to the EU Southeastern market. Import duty and VAT follow EU and Bulgarian rules and are paid by the consignee at clearance by default; if the shipper is to bear them, DDP terms can be agreed at booking.
Acceptance standards for each commodity follow the actual carrier's rules; dangerous goods, temperature-controlled and out-of-gauge cargo must be declared at the booking stage. The airline's route history in China and its detailed cargo products are not fully published; confirmation is subject to the carrier on the day of booking.
Bookings that use Cargo Air regional capacity are confirmed shipment by shipment. After a Chinese exporter gives us the destination market and cargo details, we book the long-haul trunk, arrange the European hub connection and confirm Sofia regional capacity, producing a complete shipping plan.
| Step | Content |
|---|---|
| Step one | Give us the commodity, weight, volume, dimensions per piece, destination city and transit-time requirement so we can check 737 loading conditions and dangerous goods status. |
| Step two | We match a Chinese origin gateway with a European hub, Istanbul or Liège, confirm trunk schedule and rate, and assess Sofia regional freighter capacity at the same time. |
| Step three | Cargo moves on the trunk service to the European hub, is handed over in transit, and arrives in Sofia on a Cargo Air regional freighter, with every node tracked. |
| Step four | After landing in Sofia the cargo is cleared into the EU, then distributed, collected or delivered, with exceptions and claims handled. |
The customer does not have to deal separately with the long-haul carrier, the European hub ground agent, the regional freighter operator and the customs broker; we coordinate all of them and follow issues to closure.
Trunk freight, regional charges, fuel surcharge, ground handling, document fees, customs fees and any storage or inspection charges are itemized so the customer can see where the money goes.
Before booking we check piece dimensions against 737 door size, main deck volume and floor load, ruling out unworkable shipments before cargo reaches the warehouse and is rejected.
For delays, damage, discrepancies between documents and goods, and customs holds in transit, we handle the process under the carrier's rules and the conditions of carriage, so clients do not have to deal with unfamiliar procedures on their own.
No scheduled cargo route or dedicated cargo office in China is published. Chinese cargo connects through hubs such as Istanbul and Liège, and the airline carries the Sofia and Southeastern European regional sector with 737 freighters, confirmed shipment by shipment.
The airline has no published IATA two-letter code (IATA n/a); bookings and operations use the ICAO three-letter code CGF with radio callsign CLEVER.
The active fleet is the Boeing 737 all-cargo family: about 1 737-300SF (LZ-CGQ), about 6 737-400F and 737-800SF aircraft (LZ-CGA, LZ-CGB and others), 7 to 8 in total; about 6 An-12 aircraft were operated from 1997 to 2007.
Yes. There is no Cargo Air cargo flight direct from China to Bulgaria; cargo connects via Istanbul or Liège to Sofia SOF and then distributes across Southeastern Europe, with all connections coordinated by us.
Istanbul is closer to Bulgaria and the Black Sea and suits Sofia and Varna; Liège makes a second distribution step in Europe easier and suits e-commerce and batch cargo. The choice depends on shipping date and transit requirement.
About 6 to 10 working days airport to airport and usually 9 to 15 days door to door. Actual transit is affected by connections, peak-season capacity and destination clearance, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
General cargo needs an air waybill, commercial invoice, packing list and export declaration documents; Bulgaria is in the EU customs territory, so import declaration follows EU and local customs rules and restricted goods need import licenses or compliance certificates.
Oversized and overweight cargo is assessed shipment by shipment against 737 narrowbody door size, main deck volume and floor load; a charter is considered when regular capacity cannot take it, subject to the cargo data.
Yes. Bulgaria is an EU member state, so cargo cleared for import in Sofia can move freely within the EU to Romania, Greece, Hungary and other neighboring markets, with regional distribution arranged by us.
The airline has no published office of its own in China; Chinese shippers can contact its local agent in China or work through us at goodhope86.com, and we complete the trunk booking and regional confirmation in one place.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) assesses cargo connections from China to Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe, covering trunk booking, connection at Istanbul or Liège, and the Cargo Air regional freighter leg.
Visit goodhope86.com for air freight optionsDisclaimer: prepared by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) to describe publicly available cargo information about Cargo Air, the Bulgarian cargo airline. Content is compiled from public sources for reference only and is not a transport contract or commitment. Rights in Cargo Air and its names, codes, registrations and brand marks belong to their owners; this company is an independent freight forwarder with no affiliation, agency or investment relationship with the airline. Capacity, schedules and rates are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.