Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

We have to create an unified system for search and rescue in aircraft accidents as soon as possible. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Nikolina Angelkova during the first interinstitutional meeting on search and rescue in air transport, which took place in State Enterprise “Air Traffic Services Authority” on Friday.

Minister Nikolina Angelkova said that in order to be created an effective and efficient system for search and rescue, a National Plan for search and rescue in aircraft accidents should be elaborated and adopted in the shortest terms. She also said that in it will be listed all activities and Rules of Procedure between the responsible institutions and organizations in case of an aircraft accident, will be included the education and the training plans of the rescue teams and the personnel, and will be specified the necessary technical equipment and information and communication provision. According to her, in the National Plan will be specified the tasks and the activities of the Coordination Centre for search and rescue in aircraft accidents, which will ensure a rapid initial response, both on land and in water.

To set up and maintain an effective and efficient unified system for search and rescue is planned to be allocated funds around 2 million levs per year from the air navigation charges which are collected by SC “Air Traffic Services Authorities” /ATSA/. These funds are foreseen solely for search and rescue activities and they are allocated according to Bulgaria's commitments as a signatory to the Chicago Convention of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). They are intended to be used primarily for operative expenses as tuition and training of the rescue teams and staff as well as covering urgent needs related to the purchase of technical equipment, fuels etc.

To be grand the funds it is needed their expenditure to be approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the procedure is expected to be completed by the end of this year. During the talks, it was stated that interdepartmental working group which was appointed by the Minister Nikolina Angelkova will start working on Monday for preparing the National Plan to be submitted as quickly as possible to IATA.

The talks were attended by representatives of institutions involved in search and rescue after  airplane accidents - Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Office of the President, DG "Fire Safety and Protection of Population" DG " Security Police" “Special anti-terrorism squad”, DG "Civil Aviation Administration", Executive Agency "Maritime Administration" SE "Air Traffic Control" and the Bulgarian Red Cross.