Stara Zagora Airport hosted an aviation event for the first time in more than 20 years as the city became a stop on the eighth Air Tour of Bulgaria on Sunday. The event, hosted by the city’s local Air Sports Club, brought together pilots and representatives of aviation clubs, with the program featuring flights, aircraft displays and career guidance initiatives for young people interested in pursuing careers in aviation.
“Stara Zagora Airport has not seen this kind of activity for more than 20 years,” Club Chair Iliya Donev told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He said hosting the event was a celebration both for the aviation community and for the city and its aviation enthusiasts.
According to Donev, the airport could also be used to host future aviation events. He announced that an open day and aviation festival organized by the club are planned for October 3, just days before Stara Zagora’s city holiday.
This year’s Air Tour of Bulgaria is being held to mark the 100th anniversary of the first air tour of Bulgaria, which took place in 1926. It also commemorates the 130th anniversaries of the births of aviation pioneers Tsvetan Lazarov and Assen Jordanoff.
Speaking to BTA, retired Brigadier General Spas Spasov, chair of the Foundation Bulgarian Air Force, said the tradition was revived in 2012.
According to Spasov, one of the initiative’s main goals is to support the preservation of airports and airfields in Bulgaria and prevent them from being converted to other uses. He also noted that the tour aims to promote Bulgaria’s aviation history among young people.
The number of participating aircraft varies at different stages of this year’s tour. Some of the aircraft traveled through Romania at the invitation of Romanian aviation partners. The participants will then gather at Primorsko Airport, with the tour scheduled to conclude at Uzundzhovo Airport near Haskovo.
Spasov said that more than 10 aircraft had landed in Stara Zagora, around six had visited the Romanian airport, and approximately 15 aircraft were expected to gather at Primorsko and Uzundzhovo.
In Stara Zagora, part of the program was aimed at young people and focused on career opportunities in aviation. These were presented by instructors and cadets from the Georgi Benkovski Higher Air Force School.
This year’s tour is organized by the Foundation Bulgarian Air Force, the Association Friends of the Bulgarian Army, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Bulgarian Microlight Aircraft Association, the Bulgarian Aviation Association and the Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association.
Stara Zagora Airport Hosts Participants in Eighth Air Tour of Bulgaria THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-20 10:51:23
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