Austrian Airlines flight from Israel diverts to Bulgaria following bomb threat

An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport to Vienna made an unscheduled landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, after the crew received a bomb threat, prompting security checks after the plane landed safely.

Passengers told Israeli news outlet Ynet News that the incident involved an "anonymous report of a bomb on the plane." A suspicious object was also reportedly discovered onboard, although Austrian Airlines later said that "no danger was identified."

The incident reportedly began after the aircraft left Israeli airspace. An Austrian citizen allegedly sent the bomb threat to the airline but was not among the passengers onboard.

The flight was reportedly over Romania when the threat was received, prompting the crew to divert to Sofia.

"During the flight, on the border with Romania, the crew reported a bomb threat signal and decided to land in Sofia unexpectedly," the Bulgarian Transport Ministry confirmed in an official statement.

"We confirm that a threat was received concerning Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, prompting the aircraft to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria. The plane landed safely at 8:42 p.m. Central European Summer Time. The Airbus A320 underwent security checks. There were 51 passengers and six crew members on board. Passengers will be rebooked on an alternative flight as soon as possible," Austrian Airlines said in an official statement following the incident.

A Bulgarian air force MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the aircraft to Sofia. After landing, passengers were evacuated while security officials inspected the plane. No injuries were reported.

On Monday morning, Austrian Airlines added that "no danger was identified" onboard the flight.

The incident comes three weeks after an Omani Flydubai pilot stabbed the flight’s captain and attempted to crash the plane, which was carrying 180 passengers, most of them Israeli, in a 9/11-style terror attack targeting Ben Gurion Airport. The attack was narrowly averted following the response of the wounded Indian captain, several Israeli passengers and two off-duty pilots.

Following the incident, reports emerged that Oman Air, the Omani pilot’s former employer, had terminated his contract over concerns that he had become radicalized and embraced radical Islam.

Last week, a commercial flight traveling from the Greek holiday island of Corfu to Nuremberg, Germany, accidentally transmitted a hijacking alert using squawk code 7700. The incident prompted the German and Croatian air forces to dispatch fighter jets to escort the aircraft.