"What you did showed not only great professionalism and experience - you also showed humanity and courage." This was stated by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev during the ceremony of awarding the crews of the State Aviation Operator who participated in the evacuation of Bulgarian citizens from the Lebanese Republic. The Prime Minister together with the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova personally awarded and thanked 18 people - pilots, flight organizers, technical specialists and flight attendants.
Prime Minister Glavchev said that his main requirement when discussing the situation was that the action should be safe not only for the people who would be evacuated, but also for those who would carry out the evacuation.
The Prime Minister also thanked the Bulgarian and partner services, as well as all those who helped to make the flights possible.
"You did perfectly. Your deeds are a worthy act and are an example of how to act in such situations," Glavchev said. He recalled that the State Aviation Operator has so far participated in raids in which a total of 600 people have been evacuated.
The Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova also expressed her gratitude to the crews who realized the two flights and underlined the professionalism of all the employees of the State Air Transport Agency. "What you are doing today is the fruit of a lot of preparation over the years and once again shows how important the training of the staff is," Minister Stoyanova stressed.
