site.btaFourth Air Ambulance Lands in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's fourth helicopter for air emergency medical assistance arrived here on Friday, the Health Ministry said. 

The new air ambulance will be based at the Georgi Benkovski Bulgarian Air Force Academy in the town of Dolna Mitropoliya. It will serve the wider region and play a major role in advancing emergency medical air services across the country.

The handover protocol between the Bulgarian authorities and the contractor is expected to be finalized by the end of the month. Once signed, the helicopter will go through registration and licensing before becoming fully operational.

The fifth helicopter is expected to be delivered by the end of this year, with the remaining three scheduled for delivery in 2026.

Six locations have been earmarked for building helicopter bases. At present, one helicopter is at the operational base in Sofia, two are in Sliven, and the new one is in Dolna Mitropoliya. The remaining helicopters will be located in Plovdiv, Gabrovnitsa (Montana municipality), and Buhovtsi (Targovishte municipality).

The land development plans for these sites are being updated. The operational bases are expected to be completed by the end of June 2026. Construction of hospital helipads is also ongoing, with plans to built them at 18 state healthcare facilities.