In brief
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria after a bomb threat was reported. The 51‑passenger flight landed safely at Vasil Levski airport, where Bulgarian authorities conducted a thorough security search. Bulgarian fighter jets escorted the aircraft and no injuries were sustained. The incident follows a similar hijacking scare involving a Flydubai flight last month, prompting heightened security measures across European airlines.
An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was reported.
The flight, carrying 51 passengers and six crew, landed at Vasil Levski airport roughly 30 minutes after the alert, where Bulgarian authorities conducted a thorough security search of the aircraft.
Bulgarian air force jets escorted the plane, and no injuries have been reported. An investigation into the threat is underway.
The incident follows a similar scare last month when a pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which was thwarted by the crew and pilots and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
Aviation authorities across Europe, including Croatia and Germany, have scrambled fighters in response to other related hijacking alerts. Authorities are seeking more information from Lufthansa, the parent company of Austrian Airlines, while passengers await updates on the flight’s status.
