Austrian Airlines Flight Diverts to Sofia Under Fighter Escort After Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday, October 18, after a bomb threat against the aircraft. A Bulgarian MiG-29 escorted the Airbus A320 to the runway. A search found nothing dangerous, and the same aircraft completed its journey to Vienna in the early hours of Monday.

What Happened

Flight OS82 pushed back from Ben Gurion Airport at about 6:40 p.m. local time with 51 passengers and six crew, according to initial figures from Bulgaria’s transport ministry. The aircraft, registered OE-LZE, was due in Vienna at 9:25 p.m.

As it approached the Romanian border, the crew reported a bomb threat. AeroCorner put the alert at around 9:17 p.m. Bulgarian time. The crew turned south and diverted to Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, where the jet landed at about 9:42 p.m., according to Austrian Airlines. Flight data showed squawk code 7700, the general emergency signal.

The Fighter Escort

Bulgaria scrambled MiG-29 fighters from its air force, coordinating with NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center. The transport ministry said the escort followed established procedures.

The Search

Passengers and crew left the aircraft in Sofia while Bulgarian authorities searched the plane and screened everyone who had been on board. Bulgaria’s transport ministry set up a crisis response team, and the authorities opened an investigation.

Austrian Airlines said that during the search of the aircraft, the passengers and the crew, “no danger was identified.” The airline had said earlier that it would rebook passengers once the checks were done. Instead, everyone boarded the same aircraft again. According to Air Data News, it left Sofia at about 2:50 a.m. on October 19, roughly six hours after landing, and reached Vienna at 3:12 a.m.

Who Made the Threat

The origin of the threat is not fully settled. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the threat was made by telephone to Vienna Airport  and declined to give further details. 

Authorities have not named the caller, and none of the coverage says whether prosecutors in Austria or Bulgaria have opened a criminal case.

A Run of Threats Involving Israel Flights

The diversion follows other recent incidents on routes linked to Israel. A Delta Air Lines flight that landed at Ben Gurion on October 13 was isolated after an anonymous report of a suspicious device, and the search found nothing unusual. 

What Remains Unclear

The caller’s identity and motive are unknown. So are the exact timing of the alert and whether the Bulgarian search turned up anything beyond the airline’s statement. Details could change as the investigation continues.