Bulgarian Government Aviation Detachment Sells Second Mi-8 Helicopter โin Nine Months
SOFIA, Bulgaria – The Government Aviation Detachment 28 has completed the auction of a second Mi-8 helicopter, bringing the total revenue from the sales of the โขtwo aircraft to BGN 2,875,714.45 (approximately $1.57 million USD), โฃaccording to the โคState โAviation Operator. The sale follows a trend of โasset liquidation within the Bulgarian government’s aviation โฃsector,spurred by maintenance costs and international sanctions.
The latest auction, finalizedโข on โคOctober 9th, saw “Water Stone” EOOD win with aโค bid of BGN 1,845,774 without VAT (BGN 2,214,928.80โ with VAT) forโค the Mi-8T, a helicopter previously โฃused โคfor commercial โฃrentals and film shoots.The sale was necessitated byโฃ the exhaustion of โฃthe helicopter’s component lifespan โand the inability to source replacement โparts due to sanctions against Russia. Thisโค comes just nine โmonths โafter theโ sale โofโค a mi-8PS helicopter in January, which fetched BGN โ660,785.65 with VAT for the government.
The initial tender for the Mi-8PSโค was announced on December 17, 2024, โขwith anโค initial priceโข of BGN 524,433 (excluding VAT). “GPS Control” EAD securedโค the winning bid of BGN 550,654.65 without VAT. The ongoing divestment of governmentโ aircraft extends beyond โฃhelicopters; Transportโ Minister Grozdan Karadjov recently announced plans to auctionโ off the government’s Falcon jet due to its annual maintenance costs of BGNโค 4.4โ million.
This move โhas garnered political support, โwithโค Delyan Peevski, chairman ofโฃ “DPS-New Beginning,” proposing the complete closure of โขthe government Air Force, citing โฃitsโฃ high operational costs despite maintaining aโข minimal fleet andโ large personnel count. Boyko โBorisov, leader of GERB, has voiced โคhis support for Peevski’s proposal.
