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Half a year after the mayor of Ruse, Pencho Milkov (BSP), gave an ultimatum to the company owned by businessman and owner of the Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) football club, Hristo Krusharski, to fulfill its obligations under the contract for the management of Ruse Airport, there are still unfulfilled promises.
Two years ago, Airport Ruse Ltd. undertook to fulfill 15 points within the first 24 months, i.e. by February 2025. Otherwise, the municipality of Ruse has the right to terminate the contract unilaterally and without notice, with all invested funds and activities remaining at the expense of the investor.
In February this year, Mayor Pencho Milkov submitted a proposal to the municipal council to extend the 24-month period by another year. After a long debate, the municipal councillors voted against it and Milkov’s administration sent a 6-month notice to terminate the contract.
The notice period expired at the end of October this year. Following an inquiry by Za Istinata (For the Truth) under the Access to Public Information Act, it became clear that Airport Ruse Ltd. has not yet fulfilled one of the 15 mandatory points – the development of guidelines for the licensing activities of the future ground operator.
Now it is up to the Municipality of Ruse to decide whose interests it will protect – private or public.
“Za Istinata” sent questions to the municipal press center asking whether it would take action to terminate the contract that gives Airport Ruse and Hristo Krusharski the right to use the airport for their own needs for at least another eight years. No response had been received by the time this article went to press.
The intention to reopen Ruse Airport has existed for years. Initially, it was to be managed by the municipality, which became its owner in 2015. After a period of stagnation, a Malaysian company emerged with the intention of building a large logistics center. Despite the excitement and extensive media coverage, the investor ultimately did not receive the necessary documents from the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
A little over two years ago, Mayor Pencho Milkov announced a new attempt to revive the airport near Ruse. In January 2023, at his suggestion, the municipal council decided to grant Ruse Airport free of charge for a period of 10 years to Airport Ruse Ltd. – hastily, without a tender, and without public discussion. At that time, the equal partners in the company were Stroiproekt Ltd., businessman and former president of the Lokomotiv football club (Plovdiv) Hristo Krusharski, and Anton Ternitsov through Shatraplan Ltd.
It later became clear that the two partners had “different visions” for the development of the airport, which is why Antoni Tarnitsov transferred his shares in Airport Ruse Ltd. to Hristo Krusharski’s daughter, Iliana Krusharska.
Right from the start, “Za Istinata” warned that private business interests were behind the deal between the Municipality of Ruse and Airport Ruse Ltd., even though Hristo Krusharski, Antoni Tarnitsov, and representatives of the Municipality of Ruse claimed to the media that “Ruse Airport is developing steadily” and that “within 3-4 years, the airport should acquire the status of an international airport.”
A few months after Airport Ruse Ltd. took over the management of the airport, Krusharski’s company Stroyproekt Ltd. signed a three-year contract worth BGN 25 million with the Executive Agency for Hail Suppression to provide protection against hail over northern Bulgaria by means of aircraft.
In order for Ruse Airport to accommodate commercial passenger flights, as hoped for by the people in the region and the business community, it needs an airport operator. Neither Stroiproekt Ltd. nor Airport Ruse Ltd. have a license for such activity. There is also no public information that such a license is being sought.
Thus, it turns out that the promises made by the two investors and the mayor of Ruse Municipality, Pencho Milkov, to restore passenger flights to and from Ruse were nothing more than smoke and mirrors for taxpayers.
