An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel to Austria was forced to divert to Bulgaria on Sunday night after a reported bomb threat. The Airbus A320, travelling from Tel Aviv to Vienna, made an emergency landing in Sofia, where passengers were evacuated, according to a statement from Bulgaria’s transport ministry.
Fighter escort and security search in Sofia
The Bulgarian air force sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner, the ministry said. No injuries have been reported, and an investigation has been opened.
Authorities searched the aircraft after it landed, about 30 minutes after the alert was first raised. The plane was over Romania when it turned towards Sofia.
Airline confirms threat but gives few details
Austrian Airlines confirmed that a threat was made but did not provide further details. A spokesperson told the AFP news agency that 51 passengers and six crew members were on board.
Bulgarian and Israeli media also reported that a bomb threat had been made. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening and landed at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia about three hours later. Further comment has been sought from Lufthansa, which owns Austrian Airlines.
Recent flight alerts in Europe and the Middle East
The incident follows an attempted hijacking last month on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. A pilot attacked the captain, but the crew and passengers overpowered him, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Last week, Croatia and Germany both scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from the Greek holiday island of Corfu to the German city of Nuremberg accidentally sent out a hijacking alert.
