Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv Diverts to Sofia Over Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an unscheduled landing in Sofia on the evening of October 18 after a bomb threat, Evropeiska Pravda reported, citing Der Standard.

Israeli media said an anonymous message about a planted bomb was received after the plane left Israel. “We confirm that a threat was received regarding flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, because of which the aircraft had to make an intermediate landing in Sofia,” an airline spokeswoman said. In the morning the airline said that no dangerous items were found in a search.

What flight data shows

The Airbus A320, carrying 51 passengers and six crew, landed in Sofia at 20:42 and was thoroughly examined. Per AFP, citing Flightradar24, the plane entered Romanian airspace around 21:10, then turned south toward Bulgaria. ADS-B Exchange showed the aircraft sending a distress signal at about the same time. Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said the Air Force sent a MiG-29 to escort it and a crisis headquarters was set up in Sofia; the authorities opened an investigation.

After the check, passengers were offered the nearest alternative flights. Radio Ö3 reported that the plane reached Vienna about half an hour before the 4:00 local news.

A string of threats

The incident is the latest in a series of threats against aircraft linked to Israel: last week two Delta flights also received bomb threats, both proving false alarms. On October 13 Nuremberg airport in Germany was closed after an in-flight emergency in which an airliner from the Greek island of Corfu had to be escorted by fighters. See also World.