An Austrian Airlines passenger plane flying from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria, received a bomb threat while over Romanian airspace. As a result, the captain decided to make an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Air Force deployed MiG-29 fighter jets to escort the aircraft under maximum security measures. All 57 passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Austrian Airlines both confirmed a bomb threat on flight OS82, operated by an Airbus A320 carrying 51 passengers and 6 crew members. The flight departed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, bound for Vienna, Austria, on Sunday night (18 Oct).
Data from flight tracking websites Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange showed the plane entered Romanian airspace around 21:10 local time before issuing the emergency Squawk Code 7700. The aircraft then turned south, diverting to make an emergency landing at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia, Bulgaria, about 30 minutes after the alert.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport reported that the Airbus A320 landed safely, and passengers were evacuated. The Bulgarian Air Force dispatched MiG-29 fighter jets to escort the plane as part of established security procedures.
The airline stated there were 51 passengers and 6 crew members on board. Officials began searching the aircraft for suspicious items approximately 30 minutes after the incident was reported. At the time, the plane was flying over Romanian airspace before diverting south into Bulgaria and landing in Sofia.
The airline said it would arrange another flight for passengers to continue their journey as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Bulgarian authorities have established an emergency response team and launched an investigation into the origin of the bomb threat.
This incident occurs amid heightened aviation security concerns following an event last month when a Flydubai co-pilot flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv was accused of attempting to hijack the plane. He allegedly attacked the captain and planned to deliberately crash the aircraft. Crew and passengers managed to regain control, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, last week Croatian and German air forces scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg, Germany, mistakenly issued a hijack alert.
No injuries have been reported in the latest incident, and further details about the source of the bomb threat or those responsible have not yet been disclosed.