An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was reported. The aircraft, carrying 51 passengers and six crew, was escorted by a Bulgarian Air Force fighter jet.
Flight diverted over Romanian airspace
Flight OS82 departed from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Sunday evening and climbed to a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet. More than two hours into the journey, while over Romanian airspace, the pilots of the Airbus A320 declared a general emergency and diverted to Sofia.
Bulgaria's ministry of transport confirmed that the crew reported receiving a bomb threat and decided to make an emergency landing. A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the aircraft until it landed at Sofia Airport.
Passengers and crew searched, no threat found
After landing, an operational task force was set up and an inspection began. Austrian Airlines stated that the aircraft, passengers, and crew were searched, and no threat was identified. The airline confirmed that a threat was made against flight OS82 but did not provide further details.
One passenger told Ynet they had been informed about an 'anonymous report of a bomb on the plane.' Israeli media reported that the plane was carrying a delegation of young people on their way to speak at the United Nations.
Journey resumed after re-boarding
Later that night, after re-boarding, flight OS82 continued its journey from Sofia to Vienna with all passengers on board. Austrian Airlines said, 'The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority.' The incident comes amid heightened aviation security following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight last month.
