Tel Aviv-Vienna flight makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after unspecified threat

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna carrying 57 people landed safely in Sofia on Sunday after a reported threat.

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna carrying 57 people was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday after a threat was made against the aircraft, the airline said.

Tel Aviv-Vienna flight makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after unspecified threat. (Representational photo) (Unsplash)

Flight OS82 landed safely in Sofia at 8:42 pm local time (6:42 pm GMT) on October 18, Austrian Airlines told Reuters. The Airbus A320 was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members.

The aircraft was being searched following the threat, and passengers were to be rebooked onto an alternative flight once the inspection was complete, the airline said.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, registered as OE-LZE, had been scheduled to fly from Tel Aviv to Vienna before diverting to the Bulgarian capital.

Bomb threat reported during flight

“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, according to the report.

A fighter jet from the Bulgarian Air Force accompanied the aircraft until it landed in Sofia, Sky News reported. Passengers were subsequently taken off the plane.

The airline said the flight had landed safely and that the aircraft was undergoing a search.

(With inputs from agencies)