New Flights Launching From 2 Major U.S. Airports To This Trendy European Country

What do you think the trendiest European country is right now?

There’s undoubtedly some heavyweight contenders — Albania? Montenegro? Perhaps even Moldova?

Hate to break it to you, but none of these awesome destinations are receiving direct flights to the U.S.

There’s one trendy country, mostly known among fellow Europeans for its highly underrated Black Sea beach resorts and cheap digital nomad havens.

Altogether, these gems have become popular enough to entice Americans to skip Europe’s household names in favor of up-and-coming getaways.

Little-known airline GullivAir is ready to take flight in American skies for the first time, departing from its home base in Bulgaria, offering U.S. travelers 2 easy ways to get there from a pair of major airports.

2 Major U.S. Cities Welcoming Nonstop Flights To Sofia In 2026

Despite our name, we at Travel Off Path are happy to report that Bulgaria is no longer off-path for Americans.

That’s right — say goodbye to sardine seating on budget airlines and annoying layovers that seem to never end (or in my adventures to Bulgaria, way-too-long overnight bus rides).

According to a Bulgaria-based news agency, Novinite, their very own GullivAir is set to launch its first-ever flights to the States on unofficial dates in April 2026, alleviating the stress to reach such an underrated country as more and more travelers embrace lesser-known locales.

One such city is Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, known for its affordability across the board, and most notably the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral anchoring the vast cityscape.

But there’s far more to experience across the country than staggering cathedrals and cheap stays in a capital you may have never heard of before, and that’s okay.

Bulgaria is still on the up and up. With new flights from 2 major U.S. cities, it will surely continue this trend, especially from such gargantuan airports like New York’s JFK and Chicago’s O’Hare.

Tickets are not on sale as the launch date has yet to be announced.

Is Sofia A Gateway Or Main Stay?

Listen — if there’s one thing that really bugs me, it’s when people tell me how to live my life.

I’m not here to do that.

What I can say is I’ve been to about 40 countries, and Sofia is probably one of my top 3 least favorite cities I’ve been to, and here’s why:

• I found locals to be just as cold as their brutal winters
• I found aforementioned St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral be no better than any other renowned cathedral in Europe (even the staff was rude here)
• I found little to no interesting things to do beyond a 2-day stay

Keep in mind this was 3-4 years ago with the caveat I arrived from a roughly 10-hour overnight bus ride from Istanbul.

It’s possible I was just grumpy, and even more possible Sofia has become a much more desirable destination as the country has slowly but surely become more popular since my visit.

However, I have to believe many tourists opt for numerous Black Sea hideaways over Sofia, like ones we’ve reported on, such as Primorsko, which is shattering tourism records.

Bulgaria’s coastline is truly gorgeous and draws not only summer vacationers but also year-round digital nomads for its affordability, natural beauty, and nightlife.

What It’s Like To Fly With GullivAir

First off, don’t let the above photo fool you. No, you will not be riding in a prop plane across the Atlantic.

But that photo speaks to the lack of notoriety GullivAir holds, as there are few photos available for the media.

Your flight to JFK or Chicago will likely be on its wide-body Airbus A330-200 planes, much more appealing to the eye when flying over open water.

Speaking further to GullivAir’s lesser-known status, this airline, founded in 2020, has even flown under the radar for AirlineRatings, who have no record of the airline.

The good news is there are no reports of accidents, and if you ask me, that’s good enough to take part in this groundbreaking route.

GullivAir allows free carry-ons no matter which class you purchase, including the bottom feeder of the bunch, Economy Promo.

As for entertainment and food items, click here to browse their in-flight catalog.