Bomb threat forces airliner from Tel Aviv to divert to Bulgaria

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to make an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday due to a bomb threat, according to Bulgarian authorities and the airline. As the plane approached Romania, the Austrian crew reportedly received the threat and decided to divert to Bulgaria, the transport ministry stated.

Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft once it landed in Sofia, an Airbus A320 with 51 people on board and six crew members. A security search was conducted after landing, with the airline stating they will rebook passengers on alternative flights as soon as possible. The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner in accordance with established protocols.

Flightradar24 data shows the aircraft entered Romanian airspace at 9:10pm before heading south towards Bulgaria, where it landed in Sofia. The transport ministry has set up a crisis response team and launched an investigation into the incident.