In brief
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 was diverted to Sofia after a bomb threat was raised near the flight. Bulgarian air forces escorted the plane and passengers were evacuated before police searched the aircraft. No injuries have emerged and investigations are underway. The incident follows similar security alerts in the region, underscoring heightened vigilance over commercial flights.
An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel to Austria was forced to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria after a bomb threat was reported near the aircraft, the Bulgarian transport ministry said.
The Airbus A320 was traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna when the alert was raised. It landed safely at Vasil Levski airport where all 51 passengers and six crew members were evacuated.
Bulgarian air defence scrambled a MiG‑29 fighter jet to escort the commercial aircraft. No injuries were reported and a security sweep of the plane was conducted after landing.
The incident comes after a pilot attempted a hijacking of a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv last month, an attack that was halted by the crew and led to a safe landing in Saudi Arabia.
Bulgarian and Israeli media independently reported that a bomb threat had been made. Austrian Airlines confirmed the threat but did not disclose further details.
Flight‑tracking data shows the jet departed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening and reached Sofia three hours later.
Administrators in Croatia and Germany also scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from Corfu to Nuremberg sent out a hijacking alert last week.
Lufthansa, the parent company of Austrian Airlines, has yet to provide additional comment. Authorities are continuing the investigation into the threat.
