Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA) is a legal entity, a state enterprise in the meaning of Art. 62, paragraph 3 of the Commerce Act, with seat in Sofia. BULATSA holds a license to provide air navigation services and performs state functions for provision of air navigation services in the serviced civil airspace of the Republic of Bulgaria, in conformity with the Civil Aviation Act, the ratified international agreements in the field of civil aviation, to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, and the applicable regulations of the European Union.
The governing bodies of BULATSA are:
- Minister of Transport and Communications;
- Management Board;
- Director General.
- Pursuant to Art. 53, paragraph 2 of the Civil Aviation Act, the authority of BULATSA encompasses all aircraft performing flights in the serviced airspace.
The enterprise is organized into three main areas of activity and structural units directly subordinate to the Director General, as follows:
- Operations;
- Engineering;
- Internal Audit Unit;
- Finance and Accounting Directorate;
- Legal Directorate;
- Safety and Quality Directorate;
- Human Resources and Administrative Services Directorate;
- Asset Management and Public Procurements Directorate ;
- Security and Protection Department;
- Project Management Department.
The air traffic control centres are:
- Sofia Air Traffic Control (ATC) Centre;
- Airport ATC Centres in Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Gorna Oryahovitsa.
The main subject of activity of the enterprise is:
- Air traffic management for achievement of safety, efficiency and regularity of flights in the serviced civil airspace;
- air traffic management at controlled airports;
- design of airspace structures;
- development of flight procedures;
- Planning, provision, implementation, operation and maintenance of facilities, systems and equipment for communication, navigation, surveillance, power, meteorological and aeronautical provision of the serviced air traffic and the accompanying infrastructure;
- Communication, navigation and surveillance services;
- Meteorological services;
- Aeronautical information services;
- Information services for aircraft search and rescue operations;
- Management of the air traffic safety system within the limits of its competence;
- Fulfilment of the obligations of the Republic of Bulgaria arising from international agreements in the field of air traffic management, to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party;
- Collection of charges for air navigation services, pursuant to Art. 120, paragraph 2 of the Civil Aviation Act.
BULATSA has the right to also provide other services, related to its subject of activity.
BULATSA interacts with the Civil Aviation Administration at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Military Air Force Headquarters, and other organizations and authorities in accordance with their competence.
BULATSA participates in the work of international organizations in the field of civil aviation, in which the Republic of Bulgaria is a member.
The activities of BULATSA are financed mainly from the collected charges for provision of air navigation services, according to the principles of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation of 1944.