An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, on Sunday, October 18, after the crew reported a “bomb threat signal”, Reuters reported, citing Sky News. There were 57 people — 51 passengers and six crew — on board. Bulgaria’s transport ministry said a fighter jet flew alongside the plane until it landed, and the passengers were then safely evacuated. No injuries have been reported, and an investigation has begun.
What happened on the flight
Flightradar24 data shows the Airbus A320, registered OE-LZE, was due to leave Tel Aviv for Vienna at 6:40 pm. It was diverted to Sofia at 9:25 pm.
The ministry said the crew raised the alert while the plane was on the border with Romania. In its statement, it said the crew “decided to land in Sofia extraordinarily”.
The BBC said the plane, flying as Austrian Airlines flight 82, left Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening and landed at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia about three hours later. It said the landing came about 30 minutes after the alert was first raised.
Fighter jet escort and search
The Bulgarian air force sent up a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the plane, the ministry said, according to the BBC.
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After the landing, the passengers left the aircraft. Officers then searched the plane. The BBC said an investigation has begun.
What officials and the airline said
Bulgarian and Israeli media said the plane received a bomb threat. Austrian Airlines confirmed the same but gave no more details.
Reuters said it could not verify the report at first, and that neither Austrian Airlines nor the ministry replied straight away to its requests for comment. The BBC has asked Lufthansa, which owns Austrian Airlines, for comment.
The incident follows other case involving commercial flights in recent weeks:
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- Flydubai: Last month, a pilot tried to hijack a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv by attacking the captain. The crew and passengers overpowered him, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
