The government aircraft will make two more flights to Tel Aviv

"The government Airbus took off to Varna to collect 11 Israeli citizens for Tel Aviv. At the request of citizens in Israel, a charter flight was arranged, as in recent days it became impossible for companies with direct flights to Tel Aviv to be implemented due to force majeure. For this reason, together with the Embassy in Israel and the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, a charter flight was provided from Bulgaria to Tel Aviv to pick up women with children willing to return to Bulgaria. This organisation has been going on all night and today the insurer of this company refused to fulfil the insurance of the flight, as the flight is over a war zone," Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov told Parliament on October 13.

He said the government Airbus would make two flights as it did not have the seating capacity of normal aircraft, which has more than 150 seats.

"The people who are waiting will be brought back to Bulgaria," Gvozdeykov added.

"I call for calm. Our actions are coordinated. Government aircraft will operate flights as long as possible and as long as there is a need. We are talking about mothers with children, medical and humanitarian cases," Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel said.

She announced that the first flight is expected to arrive tonight.

"We are ready for the second one. So far we have no information about Bulgarian citizens killed or injured in Israel," Mariya Gabriel added.