Over 234 Million Leva Allocated for Urgent Repairs at Graf Ignatievo Airport Amid F-16 Arrival Plans

A total of over 234.3 million leva, excluding VAT, has been allocated for four urgent construction and installation contracts at Graf Ignatievo Airport. The companies selected for the projects include "GBS - Infrastructure Construction," "Glavbolgarstroy," and "GP Group" AD. The Ministry of Defense made the selection under an exception to the Public Procurement Act, citing national security reasons.

The largest portion of the funds—nearly 108.43 million leva—has been designated for the construction of 16 aircraft shelters, along with maneuvering areas, taxiways, and service roads. Three of the contracts also include a 10% contingency in their total value. The companies were chosen based on the "most economically advantageous offer" criterion. The decision to accelerate work at the airport was made in October 2024 to compensate for some delays in its overall preparation.

It remains unclear whether the 234.3 million leva in new contracts are separate from the 300 million leva previously allocated for work at Graf Ignatievo. The Ministry of Defense first invited companies to participate in the project in October last year, and for the first time since the initial construction announcement in 2022, it publicly disclosed the selected firms.

Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov addressed the issue in response to a parliamentary question from MP Ivaylo Mirchev. He noted that previous ministers faced challenges related to company bankruptcies on the project, some of which involved full advance payments. Zapryanov warned that delays in completing the military airport could lead to additional costs for storing the F-16 fighter jets outside Bulgaria.

The first two F-16s are expected to arrive at the end of March and in April, with the remaining six from the first batch of eight scheduled for delivery by the end of September.