In brief
A 57‑passenger Austrian Airlines flight was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was raised. Bulgarian air forces scrambled a MiG‑29 to escort the aircraft and a full security sweep followed the arrival. No injuries were reported and investigations are underway. The incident follows a highly publicized hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight earlier this year, highlighting increasing aviation security concerns across the region.
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria after a bomb threat was reported on Sunday night. The plane, carrying 51 passengers and six crew members, was only 30 minutes into its flight when the alert triggered a rapid response.
The Bulgarian Air Force responded with a MiG‑29 fighter escort, and security forces conducted a thorough search of the aircraft upon landing at Vasil Levski Airport. All 57 individuals on board were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.
Authorities in both Bulgaria and Israel confirmed the threat but were tight-lipped about specifics. Flight tracking data shows the A320 departed Ben Gurion Airport around 10:30 p.m. local time and arrived in Sofia roughly three hours later.
The incident follows a high‑profile hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight earlier this month, where a passenger tried to seize control but was overpowered by the crew. Last week, Croatian and German jets were also dispatched after a similar hijacking alert during a flight from Corfu to Nuremberg.
Austrian Airlines confirmed the threat despite not providing further details, while the airline’s parent company, Lufthansa, has been asked for additional commentary by the BBC.
