An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia on Sunday evening following a reported bomb threat, Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry said.
The Airbus A320, operating as flight OS82 from Tel Aviv, landed in the capital Sofia with 51 passengers and six crew members on board late on Sunday, the airline confirmed.
The Israeli news website Ynet reported that Austrian Airlines received a warning from an Austrian citizen claiming a bomb was aboard the aircraft after it had departed Israel.
The outlet said the person who reported the threat was not on the plane.
Passengers told Ynet they had been informed of an anonymous bomb threat that forced the flight to change course.
Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry said the crew reported receiving the bomb warning while flying near the Romanian border and decided to divert to Sofia.
The Bulgarian Defence Ministry said MiG-29 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the aircraft to the airport.
Passengers disembarked after landing, while Bulgarian authorities launched security checks of the aircraft.
Austrian Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, said passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights following the inspections.
Ynet reported that early indications suggested the threat could be a false alarm, although authorities had yet to announce the results of their investigation.
The incident followed a similar bomb scare involving a Delta Air Lines flight from New York that landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport last Tuesday.
Passengers were evacuated, and the aircraft was moved to an isolated area for inspection following an anonymous warning.
Security checks later confirmed the alert was false.
