He’s a pilot—a Bulgarian aviation pilot and the only one to date who has successfully landed the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, during a demonstration flight at Sofia Airport.
This impressive aircraft has the following dimensions:
The historic event took place on October 16, 2016, after several years of intensive work to organize it. Thousands gathered at and around Sofia Airport to witness the landing and, three hours later, the takeoff of this giant aircraft. With this feat, Mario Bakalov secured his place in Bulgarian aviation history.
Today, Mario is the only Bulgarian captain at Lufthansa. In recent years, he has been involved in various projects and has participated in noteworthy events in Bulgaria's social and business spheres.
Together with Milena Hadzhiivanova, he leads corporate training programs on:
If the conversation between Milena and Mario inspires you and you want to learn more from them, you can register for their online short course on decision-making in February 2025.
This course is part of the “3-Hours Growth” Micro Learning Series featuring public figures.
