Dubai-based cargo carrier leverages its ACC3 air cargo security designation to open the EU corridor, extending its network beyond the Global South for the first time
Dubai, UAE, July , 2026: SolitAir, the UAE’s dedicated B2B, airport-to-airport cargo airline, today 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.
Hamdi Osman, Founder & CEO of SolitAir, said: “Sofia is more than a new dot on the map – it 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.”
Sofia occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, with established road and rail links into the EU’s wider single market. The city has developed into a regional logistics and manufacturing base, with growing demand for time-critical air freight spanning e-commerce, automotive components, pharmaceuticals and perishables – sectors that align closely with SolitAir’s existing cargo specialisms. The route gives EU-based freight forwarders, integrators and e-commerce businesses a direct link into SolitAir’s wider network across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, the STAN countries and China.
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 Sofia launch represents a structural expansion of SolitAir’s network logic. Since its operational launch in October 2024, the airline has grown to 56 routes across more than 34 countries, including a 17-city network across Africa, anchored by a hub in Nairobi. The addition of a European destination signals the next phase of that growth, as the carrier’s certifications and network density increasingly connect markets beyond its original Global South footprint.
SolitAir operates a fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 BCF freighters, each with 20-tonne cargo capacity, optimised for the reliability, range and versatility required to carry dangerous goods, pharmaceuticals, perishables, valuable and oversized freight. 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.
About SolitAir:
Headquartered at Dubai World Central (DWC), SolitAir is the UAE’s dedicated next-generation B2B, airport-to-airport, express middle-mile cargo airline, enabling fast, reliable, and efficient movement of goods between key global trade hubs. Operating 56 routes across 34 countries from its 20,440-square-metre logistics hub at DWC, SolitAir connects Dubai to major markets across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia, China and Europe. Designed to complement freight forwarders, integrators, airlines, SMEs, and e-commerce businesses, SolitAir offers a flexible and customer-centric approach to air cargo logistics, achieving a 98%+ on-time delivery rate across its network. The airline’s integrated platform spans four core service verticals — On Demand Charters, Tailor-Made Programs, Scheduled Flight, ACMI Service — allowing tailored solutions across both high-demand and underserved routes. SolitAir is equipped to handle a wide range of cargo categories including Dangerous Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Perishables, Valuable Goods, Vulnerable Goods, Oversized Freight, and e-commerce shipments, and holds UAE GCAA Air Operator Certificate (AOC), Dangerous Goods Air Operator Certification, EASA Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation, and ACC3 designation from the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority, authorising cargo operations into the European Union. It operates a modern fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 BCF freighters, with fleet expansion targeted at 14 aircraft by end of 2026 and 20 aircraft by 2027. Since its launch from DWC in October 2024, SolitAir has achieved key operational milestones ahead of schedule and earned multiple industry awards. Founded and led by Hamdi Osman — a logistics veteran with over four decades of experience, including 34 years as a senior executive at FedEx — the company is driven by a highly skilled leadership team with a combined 2,400 years of aviation and logistics experience.
