In brief
On 3 November 2026, a plane from Israel landed at Sofia Airport following a bomb threat sent by e‑mail. Bulgarian counter‑terrorism units inspected the aircraft and confirmed no explosive devices were present. Authorities also inspected a second aircraft after a separate threat, and officials confirmed both flights operated safely under standard protocols.
A flight arriving from Israel landed at Sofia Airport on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, after a bomb threat was received by e‑mail.
Bulgarian Interior Minister’s action secretary, Lyubomir Nikolov, said counter‑terrorism units were checking the aircraft for possible explosives.
Later that day, Transport Minister Georgi Peev reported that inspections on two separate aircraft – one from Bergamo, Italy and another from Dublin, Ireland – found no explosive devices.
Officials said the planes were not diverted and followed established protocols. Nikolov added, “The worrying thing is that some airlines have now also started to be targeted, which means that aircraft have to be diverted and the relevant measures taken.”
Peev praised Bulgaria’s air traffic controllers and other institutions for acting in line with procedure and stressed that the decision on which airport a flight lands at rests with the aircraft’s captain.
At present, authorities have not linked the threat to any specific terrorist intent and continue to investigate the sender’s e‑mail address and IP location.
Security measures at airports remain heightened, with a constant state of readiness to respond quickly to any further reports.
