Passenger plane flying from Israel to Europe receives sudden bomb threat; fighter jets scrambled to escort it for an emergency diversion and landing

Sky News reported on the 18th that an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna was diverted to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, following a bomb threat received while in the air. The Bulgarian Air Force scrambled a fighter jet to escort the aircraft until it landed safely. There were 57 passengers and crew members on board; all have since been evacuated, and authorities are currently conducting a security inspection.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications stated that the aircraft—an Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 operating flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna—was diverted to Sofia after the crew reported receiving a “bomb threat” while approaching the Romanian border.

According to data from the flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft landed at Sofia Airport at 9:25 PM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications noted that there were 51 passengers and 6 crew members on board. In accordance with emergency response protocols, the Bulgarian Air Force dispatched a fighter jet to escort the aircraft throughout the remainder of its flight until it landed safely.