An Austrian Airlines bomb threat forced flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna to divert to the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Sunday evening, where it landed safely and was met by a military fighter jet escort. All 51 passengers and six crew members disembarked without injury while security teams searched the aircraft.
FAKTA
- Flight: Austrian Airlines OS82, Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion) to Vienna, Airbus A320
- On board: 51 passengers and six crew members
- Incident: Bomb threat reported while the aircraft was airborne near the Romanian border
- Diversion: Emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, at around 8:42 p.m. CEST on Sunday
- Escort: Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet accompanied the aircraft to Sofia Airport
- Status: All on board safe; aircraft undergoing security search; passengers to be rebooked
Threat Reported Near the Romanian Border
The Austrian Airlines bomb threat was reported to the crew while the aircraft was flying near the border with Romania, prompting the flight crew to declare an emergency and turn south toward Bulgaria. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft transmitting squawk code 7700, the universal signal for an in-flight emergency, around the time the diversion began.
As the aircraft approached Bulgarian airspace, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence deployed an Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the passenger plane safely to Sofia Airport, following standard security protocols for such incidents.
All Passengers Safe, Aircraft Being Searched
“We can confirm that a threat was made against flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna (TLV to VIE), which necessitated a stopover in Sofia (SOF),” an Austrian Airlines spokesperson said in a statement. “The aircraft in question … is now being searched.”
“The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority,” the spokesperson added. All 51 passengers and six crew members disembarked after landing, and Bulgarian authorities said passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights once the security search is completed.
Bulgarian authorities established a crisis response team and launched an official investigation into the origin and nature of the bomb threat.
Airline Confirms Incident After Initial Reports
The diversion was first reported by Sky News citing Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, which said the crew reported a “bomb threat signal” and decided to land in Sofia. Austrian Airlines subsequently confirmed the incident directly, telling USA Today that a threat had been made against the aircraft.
The incident comes just weeks after a Flydubai copilot allegedly attacked the flight’s captain with a crash ax in an apparent attempt to bring down a plane carrying 170 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft plunged thousands of feet before the attacker was subdued, authorities said, and the two other pilots on board landed the plane safely.
What We Know So Far
Flight OS82 departed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday at around 6:46 p.m. local time, according to flight-tracking data. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, landed in Sofia roughly three hours later. Bulgarian officials have not yet released the outcome of the security search.
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