Airforce Pilots Again Did Not Take Off for Training Flights at Graf Ignatievo

The scheduled training flights on MIG-29 jet fighter aircrafts from Bulgarian Graf Ignatievo airbase were cancelled on 25^th of October. The Bulgarian pilots refused to fly the MiG-29 jets for planned training with thesame motives as on 24th of October saying they do not feel safe on MiG-29 aircrafts, which are very old. After the meeting in Sofia, they were informed this morning of the decisions that the Ministry of Defense and the Military Command are taking to solve the problem, but they have still remained on the ground today.

The solution to the issue will begin with the integration of the MiG-20 newly delivered engines for the MiG-29 machines. Certainly the tasks that the airbase is performing on policing the air space with the Italian Air Force are going ahead as scheduled.

The Military Prosecutor’s Office in Plovdiv said that it checked the cases of pilots’ refusal to perform the training programme and found that there was no refusal.

There is no evidence that the personnel of Graf Ignatievo Air Force had refused to perform their tasks. This was announced by the press office of the Prosecutor's Office. On October 24, 2017, the Plovdiv Regional Military Prosecutor received a request from the Military Police regional office - Plovdiv concerning a check in Graf Ignatievo Air Base. The reason for the check was signals of tensions in the airbase flying structure.

The personnel at Graf Ignatievo air base were performing their tasks and there was no evidence of them refusing to do so, nor was there evidence of a rebellion by pilots and ground crew, the statement said.

The materials from the check were reported to the Military Appeal Prosecutor and the Chief Prosecutor. So far, no evidence of crime has been found. Thus, there is no reason to exercise the powers of the Military Prosecutor's Office.