Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria has been experiencing shortage of aviation equipment for years

Photo: BTA

During the official presentation of the results of the inspection in the Air Force after the fatal crash of a training airplane at the "Graf Ignatievo" airport, which cost the lives of two pilots, caretaker Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov pointed out that there was a chronic shortage of serviceable aviation equipment. According to Zapryanov, this shortage has been observed for years in all aviation platforms - the MiG-29 fighters, the Su-25 aircraft, the L-39 training aircraft, and even when it comes to the Spartan transport aircraft. The same applies to the Cougar helicopters and especially to the Mi-17 helicopters, the minister pointed out.

The available number of planes and helicopters for operational use is not sufficient to maintain the necessary flight hours of pilots to perform all the tasks and exercises of combat training, Zapryanov also pointed out.

He specified that much of the information in the report is classified and it will be provided to the Air Force Command as well as to the heads of bases.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Within the space of 1 month, Bulgaria is mentioned 7 times as a country connected with dangerous food

In September, Bulgaria was mentioned as a country connected with dangerous food 7 times, indicate data of the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), BNR’s Vesselina Milanova reports. Over the same period this country has reported..

published on 10/21/25 3:09 PM
PM Rosen Zhelyazkov

Cabinet allocates 15,000 leva to be paid out to heirs of people who lost their lives in the floods

The legal heirs of the people who lost their lives during the flooding in the region of Burgas at the beginning of October will receive 15,000 leva (EUR 7,670), the government has decided, BGNES reports. The 60,000 leva (EUR 30,679) needed has been..

published on 10/21/25 2:58 PM
Tzvetan Spassov, Smilen Valov and Dimitar Kolarov

More and more Bulgarians living abroad want to return to their country

The tendency of Bulgarians returning from abroad is permanent. This became apparent during the forum “Europe is with me”, organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy’s Human Resources Development Programme, the Bulgarian news agency BTA..

published on 10/21/25 2:31 PM