Bomb threat forces Austrian Airlines plane from Tel Aviv to divert to Bulgaria

Austrian Airlines said a flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was received while the aircraft was near Romania. Bulgarian authorities confirmed the diversion and said the emergency landing occurred in Sofia.

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A320 registered OE-LZE, with 51 passengers and six crew aboard at the time of the diversion, according to the airline and Bulgarian transport authorities.

Upon landing in Sofia, passengers were evacuated while a security search of the aircraft was conducted, the airline noted. The search was carried out after the plane touched down about a half hour after the reported threat.

Bulgarian authorities stated that a MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the airliner as part of standard procedures, and a crisis response team was established to manage the incident as an investigation was opened.

Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft entered Romanian airspace before turning south toward Bulgaria, and reported squawk code 7700 signaling a general emergency during the flight around the time of the diversion. The airline and Bulgarian authorities said passengers would be rebooked onto alternative flights once the search was complete.