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

Flight hours of Bulgarian military pilots are way below NATO’s standards

Photo: BGNES

The flight hours of the Bulgarian military pilots are way below NATO’s minimum standards, the Commander of the Bulgarian Air Forces Major General Tsanko Stoykov said at Krumovo Air Base. The Bulgarian pilots should fly ten times more to cover the NATO standards, General Stoykov went on to say. On Monday evening a military helicopter MI-17 crashed at this air base. Two pilots died in the accident. The pilots who lost their lives during the accident had 17 and respectively 18 flight hours since the beginning of 2018. According to the NATO standards, each military pilot has to fly 180 hours a year, of which 40 hours may be spent in a flight simulator. The Bulgarian military pilots cannot cover these standards due to the lack of enough resourcing, Major General Stoykov pointed out.




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

Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia

Regular flights from Sofia to the US expected from spring 2026

The first regular direct flights between Bulgaria and the United States are expected to begin in April 2026, Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadzhov said during the national discussion “Tourism and Air Connectivity: Traditional..

published on 10/24/25 1:45 PM

The sale of Lukoil’s assets in Bulgaria will take place only after a decision by the Council of Ministers and approval from DANS

Bulgaria’s National Assembly approved at second reading amendments to the Investment Promotion Act. Under the changes, the assets of the Russian company Lukoil in Bulgaria can be sold only after a decision by the Council of Ministers and following a..

published on 10/24/25 12:04 PM

Priеmier Zhelyazkov convenes a meeting with ministers in connection with the sanctions on Lukoil

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov is convening a working meeting with ministers in connection with the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Premier Zhelyazkov..

published on 10/24/25 8:57 AM