Заместник-министърът на транспорта и съобщенията Димитър Недялков връчи една от годишните журналистически награди по време на традиционната годишна среща, организирана от Асоциацията на българските авиокомпании (АБА). Отличието бе присъдено на Живко Константинов за създаването на специализирания сайт Travel Radar и поредица от документални филми на авиационна тематика.
The Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Dimitar Nedyalkov, presented one of the annual journalism awards during the traditional annual meeting organised by the Association of Bulgarian Airlines (ABA). The award was presented to Zhivko Konstantinov for the creation of the dedicated website Travel Radar and a series of aviation-themed documentary films.
Deputy Minister Nedyalkov emphasized that in-depth knowledge of aviation topics and the objective presentation of information are key to translating expert decisions into messages that the public can understand. He highlighted the role of the media as a partner in communicating topics important to the sector: "This year will be a year of challenges for the Bulgarian aviation sector, unlike last year. Global uncertainty and conflicts directly affect air connectivity. This is putting serious pressure on the aviation sector. In these difficult times, we value objective journalism. We are working with the industry to modernise and improve the regulatory environment, but without your professional perspective, these efforts will not reach the public," said the deputy minister.
Data for 2025 indicates that the year was exceptionally successful, with the total number of passengers on international flights reaching 11,789,989. With this result, Bulgarian aviation exceeded pre-crisis 2019 levels by 3.9% and recorded an 8.1% increase compared to 2024. The total number of passengers on all commercial routes (international and domestic) for the past year amounted to 12,276,439, which is 3% above 2019 levels. Despite the positive results, experts note upcoming challenges in 2026 related to geopolitical uncertainty, high fuel prices, and EU administrative requirements for sustainability.
Currently, there are 13 Bulgarian airlines operating in Bulgaria with valid operating licenses, with a combined fleet of 81 aircraft. Our country continues to establish itself as a major European hub for aircraft maintenance and repair, with Sofia ranking 9th in the world in terms of the capacity of its active bases.
The event was attended by Anelia Marinova, Director General of the Civil Aviation Administration, Georgi Peev, Director General of the Air Traffic Control Authority, as well as executives from international airports, airlines, and veterans of the aviation industry.
