site.btaRuse Municipality Moves to Terminate Contract with Local Airport Operator over Lack of Master Plan

According to the municipal administration the period in which the operator should have fulfilled its obligations has expired, which is why steps have been taken to terminate the contract. Elena Todorova, head of the municipal legal and regulations department, explained on Monday the consequences of the decision of the Municipal Council in February, when the proposal of the local administration to extend the two-year term for implementation of the obligations by operator Airport Ruse Ltd was not accepted.

In February 2023 the Municipal Council decided that Ruse Airport, which is privately owned by the municipality, will be operated free of charge by Airport Ruse Ltd, comprising Bulgarian companies Shtraplan EOOD and Stroyproject EOOD.

Ruse Mayor Pencho Milkov explained that many of the obligations have already been fulfilled with the exception of the elaboration of the Airport Master Plan and the resulting activities. In mid-2024, Ruse Municipality was informed about disagreements between the partners in the company, which prevented the fulfilment of their obligations.

Elena Todorova said that a notice of termination of the contract has been issued.

"Under the Obligations and Contracts Act, we were obliged to set a time limit within which the unfulfilled obligation must be addressed. In the letter of notice we indicated a six-month period within which the operator can prepare the Airport Master Plan. If the omission is remedied within the notice period, the contract will not be terminated," Todorova said.

She confirmed that the obligations related to infrastructure improvements at the airport have been fulfilled and the airport has obtained an operating certificate. A detailed development plan has also been prepared.