International airports in Bulgaria to be equipped with anti-drone systems

All international airports in Bulgaria will be equipped with anti-drone systems. This was agreed upon by Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov and representatives of the airports in Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv, Gorna Oryahovitsa, the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority and the Directorate General ''Civil Aviation Administration'', the press center of the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported. Various technological options will be explored to ensure their effectiveness without negatively impacting the existing systems at the airports.

Such measures are rare at European airports, and there is no ready-made model that can be implemented immediately, but the airport operators are already studying foreign practices.

The decision comes after a drone was detected in the airspace around Sofia Airport on February 7, which led to changes in flight schedules. According to Minister Karadzhov, the specific case appears to be a provocation or an attempt to test the airport's security systems.