A NEW route will operate from Glasgow airport to Bulgaria.

Balkan Holidays - a tour operator which focuses on Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia - announced the new route to Varna for summer 2016.

It is the airport's first direct connection to Varna and will operate once a week from May next year.

Varna, which is Bulgaria’s third largest city, is famed for its mineral springs and beach resorts along the black sea coast.

Balkan Holidays will offer seven, 10 and 14 night package holidays.

Sales manager Chris Rand said it would help them cope with increasing demand for summer holidays to Bulgaria.

He added: "The flights to Varna will also provide additional capacity for us as we become the sole UK operator to the resorts of Golden Sands, St Konstantin and Albena on the Northern Black Sea coast.”

Francois Bourienne, commercial director at Glasgow Airport said: "Varna is a fantastic new addition to our ever-growing list of sun resorts that we serve from Glasgow, and it’s sure to go down a storm with our customers.

"As well as offering a myriad of beach destinations for travellers of all ages, Bulgaria offers excellent value for money for sun seekers, as well as history, culture and city delights in abundance.

"Varna is an ideal combination of port city and seaside resort, while also being the perfect hopping-off point for some of the best stretches of beach in Eastern Europe – it is a great new route to add to our growing list of charter destinations. We look forward to working with Balkan Holidays to ensure the success of this new sunshine holiday hotspot."