site.btaBulgaria Expects to Receive Second Medical Helicopter between Feb. 17 and 25, Third One in March - Transport Minister

The second medical helicopter is expected to be delivered to Bulgaria between February 17 and 25. The third helicopter is likely to arrive in this country by the end of March, Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadjov said during Friday’s Blitz Question Time in Parliament.

Minister Karadjov said that once the second helicopter of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service arrives, the first aircraft, which was delivered in February 2024, will be able to undergo its regular warranty service in Italy.

Karadjov added that Bulgaria’s only medical helicopter, which had recently been forced to abort a flight due to a low-pressure signal in one of its engines, is now ready to resume operations.

After analyzing the data, the manufacturing company, Leonardo S.p.A., found a software problem, Karadjov said. He added that a technical failure had been ruled out.

Italy has sent a new electronic unit, and Bulgarian engineers, who were trained by the manufacturer, have already installed it, the Minister said. "A successful first test flight was conducted on Thursday, and the helicopter is operational again," Karadjov added.