Overview
- Sofia’s NOTAM limits civilian traffic to two night windows on February 23 (01:15–02:50) and February 24 (01:05–03:35), allowing only military movements during those periods.
- Observers and tracker data show multiple U.S. aircraft at the airport’s military side (Vrazhdebna/16th Transport Air Base), including at least six KC-135 tankers reportedly from MacDill Air Force Base, plus C-17 and C-130 transports.
- Bulgaria’s defense ministry confirmed a U.S. Air Force presence and described it as support for training tied to NATO enhanced vigilance, while airport officials denied a link between the closures and the U.S. activity.
- Aviation reporting characterizes the movements through Sofia as part of a large U.S. air mobility deployment toward Europe and the Middle East using the dual-use facility as a staging point.
- Separate reports describe wider regional positioning—such as carrier movements and restrictions on U.S. base access in the U.K.—and note ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, with any link to potential Iran operations not officially confirmed.