Updated: according to our local correspondent, two women were injured when a plane overshot the runway. The plane, operated by Air VIA Bulgarian Airways, arrived from Leipzig with 172 passengers on board. Earlier this morning, the Varna Airport was affected by torrential rain and strong hurricane. Landing in such conditions, the plane overshot the runway. An immediate emergency response ensured that there were no casualties. However, two women, passengers of the plane, were injured. The injuries are minor fractures of the lower limbs. They were both transported immediately to the local hospital of “St. Anna. ” The women, 71 and 81 years of age, were injured as they descended on the emergency slides. One of them is Bulgarian, the other German.
Bulgaria’s Varna Airport has been closed due to an incident that occurred sometime this morning. Varna Airport officials are extremely difficult to reach at this moment, but officials there have said the airport will now rep-open at 12 PM local time.
On hearing of the closure incident we attempted to contact airport Director Dimitar Kostadinov, as well as any number of his subordinates. Not even the airport’s press services could be reached initially. We managed to contact one of the officers at the Airport Coordination Center, but all the officer could tell us was that there were no “casualties involved” in the incident. Subsequently we reached Ms. Ralitza Dimitrova in Passenger Services, and she told Argo Travel News the airport will re-open at 1 PM.
In the background during the phone call with Ms. Dimitrova, there seemed to be some excitement and confusion going on. The earlier talk with operations seemed to suggest a security situation, the officer having received orders not to disclose the nature of the incident as well.
We will update the story as we learn more, but it seems significant now that not one of the airlines operating from Varna Airport can be reached via phone. The airport’s press service, Fraport Twin Star Airport Management PR, was also unavailable for a statement.