Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Delivery of two medical helicopters delayed until next year

On February 1, 2024 the first helicopter of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service arrived in Bulgaria.
Photo: HEMS

There is a further delay in the delivery of the next two air ambulances to Bulgaria, the Italian manufacturer has said in a letter to the Ministry of Health. In the letter, the contractor, Leonardo S.p.A., set new deadlines for the arrival of the aircraft to January and February next year. 

Delays in procuring key components for the two helicopters have pushed back final assembly, according to the manufacturer, which is already facing penalties for late delivery.

In February, the country received one of six medical helicopters purchased with EU cohesion policy funds for Bulgaria's newly established Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. 

The second air ambulance was due to be delivered in June, but in May the manufacturer announced that delivery would be delayed until November, while the third helicopter would be delivered as planned by the end of December 2024.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Sunny but chilly Sunday

Overnight it will be mostly clear. Winds will weaken and die down in many areas. In the morning it will be cold, with minimum temperatures between minus 7 and minus 2°C, reaching minus 10°C in the valleys and around minus 9°C in Sofia. Tomorrow will be..

published on 11/23/24 7:05 PM

Unit 6 of Kozloduy NPP connected to the national grid after annual maintenance

The planned annual maintenance of Unit 6 of Bulgaria's only NPP, Kozloduy, has been completed. The unit was connected to the national grid at 10:07 following an inspection by the Nuclear Regulatory Agency. In addition to the repairs made to improve..

published on 11/23/24 2:09 PM
Interim minister of the Interior Atanas Ilkov

Bulgaria's full Schengen membership will not open the floodgates to the EU, says Interior Minister

A quadripartite meeting of the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and Romania in Budapest on 22 November made it clear that Austria would lift its veto and that Bulgaria and Romania would probably become full members of Schengen from the..

published on 11/23/24 11:58 AM