Bulgaria’s Varna Airport hosting several pre-planned landings of C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft

From April 14 to 17 2026, Varna Airport is hosting several pre-planned landings of C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry said.

The flights are related to the implementation of routine maintenance and refuelling procedures for the aircraft, the ministry said.

The flight through the airspace of Bulgaria and the use of the airport infrastructure are carried out in full compliance with the current national legislation, the ministry said, without identifying to which country’s air force the aircraft belong.

The procedures are previously coordinated with the competent authorities and do not affect the regular flight schedule of the civil airport, but are part of this schedule, the statement said.

The flights are operated on the basis of a reciprocal permanent (block) diplomatic permit granted by Bulgaria under current legislation.

The Ministry of Defence is not the institution that ensures the granting of permanent (block) diplomatic permits, the statement said.

Permanent (block) permits are also issued for aircraft of other countries, it said.

The US Air Force is the main user of the Globemaster III. Other users are the British RAF, Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and some Nato countries under the Strategic Airlift Capability programme.

(Archive photo: US Air Force)