site.btaBulgaria to Build Aviation Search and Rescue System

106 POLITICS - AVIATION - SEARCH AND RESCUE

Bulgaria to Build
Aviation Search and Rescue
System


Sofia, October 19 (BTA) - Bulgaria will build an integrated
system for aviation search and rescue, Transport Minister
Nikolina Angelakova said at the first inter-agency meeting on
aviation search and rescue on October 17, quoted by her
Ministry.

To this end, the government will draw up a national plan which
will define the duties of the competent coordination centre in
order to ensure rapid reaction by land and water in the event of
an aviation incident.

The future system will be maintained on annual funding of 2
million leva, which will be provided from the air navigation
charges collected by the Air Traffic Services Authority. This is
in accordance with Bulgaria's commitments pursuant to the
Chicago Convention of the International Civil Aviation
Organization.

The allocations are to be approved by the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) until the end of this year.
Angelakova has appointed a working group to write the national
plan, which should be submitted to IATA as soon as possible.
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