Austrian Airlines flight diverted to Sofia after bomb threat
An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv carrying 57 people was diverted to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, late on Sunday after a threat was made against the aircraft, reports BritPanorama.
Austrian Airlines stated the threat was made against Flight 82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, which required a stopover in Sofia. The flight landed safely at 8:42 p.m. local time (2:42 p.m. ET).
The Airbus A320, which was transporting 51 passengers and six crew members, is currently being searched. Passengers will be rebooked onto an alternative flight once the search is complete.
Data from air tracker Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft, registered OE-LZE, was originally set to leave Tel Aviv for Vienna but was diverted to Sofia.
According to Sky News, citing Bulgaria’s transport ministry, the plane landed following a “bomb threat signal.”
“During the flight, on the border with Romania, the crew reported a bomb threat signal and decided to land in Sofia extraordinarily,” the ministry said, as reported.
An air force fighter accompanied the aircraft until its landing in Sofia, where passengers were subsequently disembarked.
The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
