Austrian Airlines Flight from Tel Aviv Makes Emergency Landing in Sofia After Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 operating flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to make an emergency diversion to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday evening after the crew received a bomb threat.

The aircraft, carrying 51 passengers and six crew members, was near the Romanian border when the threat was reported. The pilots declared a general emergency, transmitted the squawk code 7700, and diverted to Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport. A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet escorted the plane to the ground as a standard security measure.

All passengers and crew disembarked safely after landing. Security teams then conducted a thorough search of the cabin and cargo hold. Austrian Airlines confirmed the threat against the flight and said passengers would be rebooked on alternative services once the checks were complete.

Bulgarian authorities said the crew reported a “bomb threat signal” and chose to land extraordinarily in Sofia. Early reports indicated the alert stemmed from an anonymous call, reportedly made in Vienna, concerning a suspicious object on board. Initial assessments pointed to a false alarm, though investigations continued.

The incident did not occur in or near Israeli airspace, and the Israel Air Force stated it was not involved. It comes amid a series of recent security alerts affecting flights linked to Israel, including earlier false bomb reports on other services.

The plane landed safely and no injuries were reported.