In brief
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat. The plane landed at Vasil Levski airport after about three hours of flight. Bulgarian air forces dispatched a MiG‑29 to escort the aircraft, and security teams conducted a thorough search of the plane. No injuries were reported, and investigations are underway. The incident follows a recent hijacking scare involving a Flydubai flight.
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 was forced to land in Sofia, Bulgaria, after an alleged bomb threat was reported on a flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna.
The aircraft, traveling on Sunday night, diverted to Vasil Levski airport 30 minutes after the alarm, with 51 passengers and six crew on board. Passengers were safely evacuated and the plane was secured before a thorough security search commenced.
The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG‑29 fighter jet to escort the plane into the airport. Authorities confirmed no injuries and have launched an investigation into the threat.
The incident comes amid a string of recent aviation security incidents, including a hijacking scare involving a Flydubai flight and mis‑reported threats over other flights in Europe.
Austrian Airlines confirmed a threat had been made but has not released further details. The airline is cooperating with investigators as they look into the source of the alarm.
