Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv Diverts to Sofia After Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on Sunday evening after a reported bomb threat, according to Bulgaria's transport ministry. No injuries have been reported, and an investigation is under way.

The Airbus A320, flight OS82, carried 51 passengers and six crew members. All of the passengers have since left the aircraft, the ministry said in a statement cited by Al Jazeera.

What happened on Flight OS82

Bulgarian state television BNT, citing the transport ministry, reported that a crew member received the threat. Al Jazeera, also citing the ministry, said the crew got the threat while the plane was near the border with Romania and decided to land in Sofia.

Bulgaria's defense ministry said fighter jets responded after the threat was reported. According to the transport ministry, as reported by the BBC and Al Jazeera, an air force MiG-29 escorted the airliner to Sofia airport.

Austrian Airlines confirmed to AFP that a threat was made but gave no further details. The airline said a security search of the aircraft was carried out. The BBC reported that the search began after the plane landed, about 30 minutes after the alert was first raised.

What the flight data shows

Flight-tracking data cited by Al Jazeera and the BBC gives a rough timeline of the diversion:

• FlightAware showed the plane leaving Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv at 6:46 p.m. local time on Sunday.
• Flightradar24 data showed it entering Romanian airspace at about 9:10 p.m. local time, then turning south toward Bulgaria.
• ADS-B Exchange indicated the aircraft was transmitting squawk code 7700, the signal for a general emergency, at around the same time.
• FlightAware showed it landing at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia at 9:43 p.m. local time, about three hours after departure.

Bulgarian and Israeli media reported that a bomb threat had been made, the BBC said. ABC News noted that BNT did not initially identify the airline. Austrian Airlines was named in the transport ministry's statement as reported by Al Jazeera.

Why it matters for travelers

For the people on board, the practical effect was a disrupted trip rather than physical harm. The airline told AFP that once the search of the aircraft is complete, passengers will be rebooked onto other flights as quickly as possible. The airline did not say when those flights would leave.

For other travelers, the episode shows how a reported threat is handled in the air. The crew declared an emergency, a military jet escorted the plane to the nearest suitable airport, and passengers got off before the aircraft was searched. Bulgarian authorities also set up a crisis response team, according to the transport ministry.

A tense backdrop for flights to and from Israel

Both the BBC and Al Jazeera placed the incident against the background of a separate episode last month. A Flydubai flight carrying 174 passengers from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv was diverted to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot with an axe in an attempt to crash the plane.

According to Al Jazeera, the aircraft fell about 17,000 feet before other Flydubai pilots regained control, and passengers and other crew subdued the alleged attacker. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said the co-pilot, an Omani national named Hamam Al-Hammami, was on a “suicide” mission to crash the plane at Ben Gurion airport. He has been charged with terrorism offences in the UAE. Israel responded by ordering identity checks on all pilots flying into the country, Al Jazeera reported.

The sources do not connect that case to Sunday's threat on the Austrian Airlines flight.

What happens next

Bulgarian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, and the transport ministry said a crisis response team is in place. The ministry has not said who made the threat or how it was communicated. The BBC said it had asked Lufthansa, which owns Austrian Airlines, for comment.

Sources: ABC News, Al Jazeera, BBC News