Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Grozdan Karadjov, has instructed the management of the State Aviation Operator agency, responsible for transporting the country's highest-ranking officials, to sell the Government of Bulgaria's Falcon 2000. The aircraft will be offered at an open auction “to secure the highest possible price”, Karadjov wrote.
The decision, announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on Facebook, follows a review of the costs associated with the 24.6-year-old jet, LZ-OOI (msn 123), delivered new to the government in early 2001. “The Falcon 2000 costs the state budget an average of about BGN4.4 million lev (USD2.6 million) per year, with only 290 hours of average annual operation,” he wrote.
Karadjov noted that the aircraft will require maintenance this year costing around BGN6.76 million (USD4 million), in addition to expenses for ground and simulator training for pilots and specialised technicians conducted abroad.
Bulgaria's state VIP fleet further includes an 18.4-year-old A319-100, LZ-AOB (msn 3188), which Karadjov described as having “significantly lower” maintenance costs than the Dassault Aviation jet. “There is no need to maintain the Falcon 2000, as the A319 is larger, more efficient, and better suited to the needs of our representatives,” he added.
Karadjov highlighted that proceeds from the sale could be used to enhance aerial firefighting capacity, strengthen search and rescue (SAR) operations, and provide additional training for crews operating in these high-risk areas.
