Recent threats to civil flights are not aimed at Bulgaria in particular, said Ivan Dyaksov, head of the state-owned Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA). Air traffic controllers in Bulgaria are ready for emergencies, he added.
More than 30 flights in Europe and Bulgaria were affected by false bomb threats over the past week.
Controllers handle more than 3,000 flights a day over Bulgaria, and more than 1 million a year. A threat can reach an airport, or the airline operating the flight, by phone or email. A special protocol then starts, and the controllers on duty carry the main responsibility.
Only the captain and the airline decide where the plane will land. The place is agreed at the first contact with the captain.
Dyaksov said that once BULATSA is told of the decision, that plane becomes a priority and goes ahead of all other flights. Controllers must guide it safely to the airport by the shortest route.
When a flight is diverted, passengers face problems, mostly if the plane lands at a different airport from the one planned. Checking a plane such as an Airbus 320 or Boeing 737, which Ryanair and Wizz Air fly in Europe, takes 3–4 hours.
Todor Ivandzhikov, chairman of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association, said this is an extreme situation in which there is no compensation. The airline either looks for the fastest way to move the passengers, or they wait while the plane is checked.
Experts say that bringing in military aircraft, extra fuel and disrupted schedules could push up ticket prices. Fares for flights between European countries are expected to rise by 10-20-30, depending on when people buy. Ivandzhikov advises buying tickets as early as possible.