Bomb Threat Diverts Tel Aviv–Vienna Flight to Sofia

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria after the crew received a reported bomb threat. The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport said the aircraft was near the Romanian border when the threat was received and the crew decided to divert to the Bulgarian capital. A MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the plane to Sofia, according to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence. The flight carried 51 passengers and six crew members, all of whom had disembarked by the time of the ministry’s statement. Austrian Airlines said the aircraft was being searched and that passengers would be transferred to alternative flights as soon as possible. Bulgarian authorities formed a crisis response team and opened an investigation. Flight-tracking services showed the plane departing Tel Aviv at 6:46pm local time and landing in Sofia at 9:43pm. Tracking data also indicated that it entered Romanian airspace before turning back toward Bulgaria and transmitted squawk code 7700, a general emergency signal. The article places the incident alongside a separate event the previous month involving a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. UAE authorities said the co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot with an axe in an attempt to crash the aircraft. The plane descended about 17,000 feet before other pilots regained control, assisted by passengers and crew who subdued the alleged attacker. It diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot, Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami, was charged with terrorism offences in the UAE. After that incident, Israel ordered identity checks for pilots flying into the country.

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday night after a reported bomb threat. The plane made an emergency landing at Vasil Levski Airport, where passengers were evacuated and authorities searched the aircraft. The Bulgarian transport ministry said the air force sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the plane. Austrian Airlines confirmed that a threat had been made but did not provide further details. A spokesperson told AFP that 51 passengers and six crew members were aboard. No injuries were reported, and an investigation is under way. The alert was raised while the aircraft was over Romania; flight-tracking data showed it landed in Sofia about three hours after leaving Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The article also places the incident amid other recent aviation security events. Last month, a person attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv by attacking the captain, but crew and passengers subdued him and the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia. The previous week, Croatia and Germany scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from Corfu to Nuremberg mistakenly transmitted a hijacking alert. The BBC said it had sought further comment from Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines’ owner.

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday after the crew received a bomb threat while the aircraft was near the Bulgarian-Romanian border. The plane landed safely at 9:25 p.m. with 51 passengers and six crew members aboard, according to Bulgarian authorities. The Bulgarian transport ministry said the crew reported a bomb-threat signal and decided to divert to Sofia. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the diversion, while ADS-B Exchange recorded the aircraft transmitting squawk code 7700, which indicates a general emergency. A Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the aircraft. After landing, passengers were evacuated and the plane was searched, Austrian Airlines said in a statement reported by the Austrian news agency APA. The airline said passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights as soon as the search was complete. The article also mentions two other recent aviation incidents for context. Last month, a Flydubai co-pilot was suspected of attacking the pilot in the cockpit and attempting to hijack the aircraft and crash it intentionally in Israel. The previous week, an accidental hijacking alert on a commercial flight from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg, Germany, led Croatia and Germany to scramble fighter jets. The report does not state whether the bomb threat was confirmed or provide details about its source.