site.btaAnti-Drone Systems Needed to Secure Perimeter of Airports, Transport Minister Says

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov ordered the state-owned enterprise "Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority" (BULATSA) to propose a technical solution for early detection and tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles entering the range of approaches and landing areas of Bulgarian airports, the press centre of the Transport Ministry said on Saturday. 

"Adequate anti-drone systems are needed to secure the perimeter of airports. Conventional anti-drone systems are impracticable at these sites because they can affect communication and navigation equipment," Karadzhov said.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Karadzhov and BULATSA Director General Georgi Peev, who briefed him in detail about the incident from Friday evening, when a drone entered the Sofia airport area.

BULATSA promptly spotted the drone and tracked its trajectory from the moment it entered the Sofia airport area until it left. BULATSA's flight controllers were in constant contact with the Interior Ministry, Border Police and the State Agency for National Security and Security (SANS), and monitored the drone's movement and behaviour at all times. In order to ensure the safety of the arriving aircraft, the landing of several planes had to be rescheduled to ensure a safe trajectory, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said. 

The Interior Ministry told BTA earlier on Friday that a search was underway for the owner of the drone, which was spotted last night in the area around Sofia airport. Pre-trial proceedings have been opened and the materials will be reported to the Sofia City Prosecution Office.