BBC World2 hours agoWorld1 min readUnited Kingdom

Bomb threat forces Israel to Austria flight into emergency landing

Quick Look

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a reported bomb threat on Sunday night.
The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 jet to escort the aircraft, and all 51 passengers and six crew were evacuated safely with no injuries reported.
Authorities conducted a security search after landing, and an investigation has begun.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The incident follows a similar event last month where a pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which was overpowered by crew and passengers. Last week, Croatia and Germany scrambled fighter jets after a false hijacking alert from a flight from Corfu to Nuremberg.

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An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel to Austria has been forced to divert to Bulgaria after a reported bomb threat.

The Airbus A320 plane was travelling from Tel Aviv to Vienna on Sunday night but made an emergency landing in Sofia, where passengers were evacuated, the Bulgarian transport ministry said in a statement.

The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner, the transport ministry said. No injuries have been reported and an investigation has begun.

It comes after a pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv last month by attacking the captain, before the flight's crew and passengers overpowered him and landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Bulgarian and Israeli media reported that a bomb threat had been made.

Austrian Airlines has confirmed a threat was made, without giving further details. A spokesperson told the AFP news agency there were 51 passengers and six crew members on board the jet.

Authorities conducted a security search of the plane after it landed in Sofia, about 30 minutes from when the alert was first raised. It was over Romania when it diverted to Sofia.

Flight tracking data showed Austrian Airlines 82 left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening before landing at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia three hours later.

Last week, Croatia and Germany both scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from the Greek holiday island of Corfu to the German city of Nuremberg accidentally sent out a hijacking alert.

The BBC has sought further comment from Lufthansa, the owner of Austrian Airlines.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Authorities will complete the security investigation and release findings within the coming days.
Likely · Within days
Austrian Airlines will review its security protocols in response to this incident.
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

What was the nature of the bomb threat?
Who made the threat and what was their motive?
Were any suspicious items found during the security search?
Has the threat been deemed credible or a hoax?

Bomb threat forces Israel to Austria flight into emergency landing

Quick Look

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a reported bomb threat on Sunday night.
The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 jet to escort the aircraft, and all 51 passengers and six crew were evacuated safely with no injuries reported.
Authorities conducted a security search after landing, and an investigation has begun.