Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority

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Air Traffic Services (ATS)

Air Traffic Services (ATS)

ATS provided from Area Control Centres
BULATSA is responsible for the provision of air traffic services over an area of approximately 145,000 square kilometres. En-route services are provided by two Area Control Centres (ACCs) - Sofia and Varna. 306,000 overflying civil aircraft were serviced in 2004 without any ATM induced delays.

Sofia ACC
Sofia ACC is located in the building of the Common National Air Traffic Control Centre (CNATCC), in proximity to Sofia Airport. Sofia ACC provides ATS in the Sofia flight information region (Sofia FIR) and the western part of the Varna FIR. The new facility is operational since 2003, while operations with the modern automated SATCAS ATM System commenced at the beginning of 2005.

Sofia ACC handles up to 1,000 overflights in 24 hours during the peak summer season. Sofia ACC has the capacity to provide services by 11 civil area control sectors and 2 sectors for civil/military co-ordination. Each sector is equipped with two identical air traffic controller working positions - executive and planning CWPs.

Over the short and medium term a number of technical and organisational activities have been planned so that the provision of ATS in the whole Bulgarian upper airspace will be merged and performed from Sofia ACC. The full planned capacity of the SATCAS System will be achieved and ultimately Sofia ACC will be able to fulfil the functions of a Common National Air Traffic Control Centre.

ovd3.jpgVarna ACC
Varna ACC is located at Varna Airport and provides air traffic services over the eastern part of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Black Sea territorial waters and in the airspace over the high seas of the Black Sea where the Republic of Bulgaria has assumed the responsibility for the provision of ATS.

Varna ACC handles up to 700 overflights in 24 hours during the peak summer season. Varna ACC has the capacity to provide services by 3 civil area control sectors.

Services provided at Bulgarian airports
BULATSA provides ATM services to landing and departing aircraft from three Approach Control Units:

  • Sofia APP, located at Sofia ACC;
  • Varna APP, located at Varna ACC;
  • Burgas APP,

and from five Aerodrome Control Towers situated at the international airports of Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Gorna Oryahovitsa.

More than 65,000 IFR flights arriving and departing at/from Bulgarian airports were serviced in 2004. A 15% growth in international movements was registered over 2003 and forecasts indicate that this is a stable trend and growth will continue.