DIETER GROSSE, Lufthansa's manager Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania speaks to VELINA NACHEVA about the company's operations in Bulgaria.



THE aviation industry in Sofia has undergone a tremendous change from operating two flights a week 30 years ago; Lufthansa now has three flights a day.

Today, Lufthansa's flights have internet LAN connection on board and passengers can send mails and browse the internet while flying. Major changes that Lufthansa Bulgaria has undergone started four years ago with the start of Bank Settlement Plan, which is still continuing.

"Electronic tickets distribution is expanding today and I am amazed with the speed of these changes," said Dieter Grosse, adding that customers have received the developments very positively.

In the beginning of September, Lufthansa presented its new promotional customer-centred campaign, which is being introduced to some of the most important markets in the world. This image campaign is based on Lufthansa's reliability, safety record, feeling comfortable and trusting the brand of the company.

Among the six airline companies in Bulgaria that have introduced electronic ticketing, Lufthansa is one of the market leaders. Their share in electronic tickets has reached more than 25 per cent for Bulgaria, which means that this is the leading country within the region of Central and Eastern Europe, Grosse said.

Lufthansa has 6263 flights weekly, to 176 destinations around the world, in 74 countries.

In Bulgaria, there is not yet sufficient demand for scheduled flights to Varna and Bourgas.

"We select destinations according to the demand and what would be profitable. Sofia definitely is well established in our network and has been for years," Grosse said.

Bulgaria has always been a tourist destination and it has featured a tremendous growth in tourism figures.

The high number of passengers from Germany is connected to Thomas Cook, TUI and other operators working in the tourism sector and projects at the seaside.

"That interest has to do with pricing that these destinations are sold so well," Grosse said.

However, Lufthansa depends on business travellers, he said, adding that there are many visitors with Sofia as a starting point.

The aviation market will continue to change, definitely so in Bulgaria after the country joins the EU.

"If you see the neighbours you could see the changes already there," Grosse said, in reference to countries that recently joined the EU, and adding that Poland used to serve two destinations while now there are five destination into the country and new services to Slovakia and Bratislava.

After being posted to places as Shanghai, Ethiopia, Katmandu and Mumbai, Grosse found Sofia to be much different and has found it to be a city that is definitely European in character. He soon found out about the opportunities of the capital city and the safety of the place, where his whole family feels at home.

"The initial lack of high expectations were quickly replaced by a pleasant feeling about the comfortable life in Sofia," Grosse said.

The size and availability of places to do and things to see make living and working in Sofia pleasurable for Grosse, with the added benefit of the city being in Europe. "No more long-haul and tiring hours trips to reach Germany," he said.

Although Lufthansa is a global operating carrier, their business is local and thus the airline adjusts to local needs and habits. "I find it very interesting how business in the aviation industry has changed over the past five years," Grosse said.