Sofia Airport closes civil traffic for two nights. What does the action have to do with US-Iran tensions?
Sofia International Airport will suspend all civilian flights during two short overnight periods on February 23 and 24, allowing only military aircraft to operate, according to data published on Flightradar24 and an official notice to airmen (NOTAM).
Sofia International Airport PHOTO Facebook / Sofia Airport International
The restrictions will apply between 01:15 and 02:50 on February 23 and between 01:05 and 03:35 on February 24, according to Novinite.
The temporary closure coincides with the presence of several US military aircraft at Vasil Levski Airport and the nearby Vrazhdebna Air Base.
These include Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker aircraft refueling from Air Refueling Wing 6 at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, as well as a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft deployed from NATO's Ramstein Air Base. Observers have tracked increased movements of US aircraft over Bulgaria since mid-January.
Bulgaria's Defense Ministry confirmed the aircraft belonged to the US Air Force and said their deployment was linked to NATO's increased vigilance activities, with personnel assigned to service the planes. The US Embassy in Sofia offered a similar explanation. Officials did not provide specific operational details, stressing that such details are not typically disclosed.
What does it have to do with Iran?
Speculation has circulated online that the aircraft movements are linked to possible US actions involving Iran, particularly amid a wider build-up of US air and naval assets in the Middle East.
According to international monitoring data, refueling aircraft such as the KC-135 play a central role in extending the range of combat aircraft during long-range missions. Recently, six US military aircraft crossed Europe.
However, airport authorities told Bulgarian National Television that the suspension of civil traffic overnight was related to technical work on the runway wells, with the chosen times reflecting minimal scheduled commercial activity. The designated time slots, however, allow full availability of the runway for intensive military movements.
The KC-135 fleet, operated by Air Mobility Command with support from the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, has been in service since the late 1950s. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, the aircraft has undergone multiple upgrades over the decades, including engine overhaul programs that have improved fuel capacity, efficiency, operating costs and levels of noise.
Various modified versions have served in reconnaissance, air command and surveillance roles, while the current KC-135R and KC-135T variants continue to receive upgrades to modernize communications, navigation and control systems to meet ever-evolving operational and air traffic requirements.
