The Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association participated in the international forum.
“Circular Ports for Global Trade – Green Infrastructure and Smart Connectivity”, which took place on 14 March 2026 in Thessaloniki.
Todor Ivandjikov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association, took part in the discussion “Ports, Air Mobility and the Future of Smart Connectivity.”
In his presentation, he outlined a vision for the new logistics ecosystem, in which ports are becoming smart, digitally connected and sustainable transport hubs, integrated with regional airports, drone logistics corridors, vertiports, and digital airspace management systems.
A strong emphasis was also placed on the role of drone technologies in the management and monitoring of port infrastructure, as well as on the development of the Low Altitude Economy — the new economic layer in the airspace up to 500 metres, which will create new opportunities for logistics, connectivity, and regional development.
The participation was outstanding and generated significant interest in the opportunities for integration between aviation, maritime transport, and digital infrastructure in the transport networks of the future.
The Forum brought together leaders from the transport, logistics, and industrial sectors to discuss connectivity between the Aegean and the Black Sea, the development of green infrastructure, and the new logistics and aviation ecosystems that will shape the future of the regional economy.
The event was organized by the Bulgarian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior of Greece – Sector Macedonia and Thrace, as well as leading business organizations in the region.
Among the key participants and speakers were:
• Apostolos Tzitzikostas – European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
• Traycho Traykov – Minister of Energy of Bulgaria
• Yulian Popov Юлиян Попов– министър на околната среда и водите на България
• Vasilis Kikilias – Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of Greece
• Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha – Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2001–2005)
• Serhat Köksal – President of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank
• Sergey Stanishev – Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2005–2009)
