Bulgarian PM's Plane Makes Second Emergency Landing

A plane carrying Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov made an emergency landing on Sunday because of a problem with the landing gear, the second such incident involving the leader in six months, the transport ministry said.

The undercarriage failed to retract when the plane left the airport at the eastern town of Varna, the ministry said in a statement.

The Falcon 2000 carrying Borisov circled over the Black Sea for 15 minutes to use up fuel before returning to Varna.

"At no time was the life or health of the passengers in danger," it said.

Borisov was to return to Sofia late Sunday on another plane, after missing a ceremony in the southern city of Plovdiv.

In an almost identical incident on February 11, the same government aircraft carrying the prime minister was forced to return to Sofia after the landing gear failed to retract on a flight to Brussels.