Bulgarian wet-lease carrier GullivAir is seeking a year-long clearance to operate an Airbus A330-200 on transatlantic routes, on behalf of Israeli leisure airline Arkia.
GullivAir, which is based in Sofia, has disclosed that it plans to conduct the services between Tel Aviv and New York JFK.
It states in a filing to US regulators that the operation will commence on 1 November and initially run for 12 months.
But it is prepared to accept a six-month lease if the US Department of Transportation is “disinclined” to allow a full year.
GullivAir is seeking authorisation for the Arkia operation “as soon as possible”.
Citing an authorisation document dated April 2025, it says the Maltese division of Hi Fly was recently granted permission to wet-lease A330-200 aircraft to Arkia.
“It is GullivAir’s understanding that any flights to be operated by Hi Fly…are to supplement the arrangement between GullivAir and Arkia,” it adds.
GullivAir says it has operated a “limited number” of third- and fourth-freedom services over the past year, and adds that it is “actively working” towards opening scheduled flights between Bulgaria and the USA.
But in the meantime, it says, it will “aggressively pursue” additional third- and fourth-freedom charter and wet-lease opportunities.