Flight from Israel makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat

Crew of Austrian Airlines formation OS82 decides to onshore successful Sofia aft receiving weaponry threat, Bulgarian authorities say.

An Airbus A320 formation from Tel Aviv to Vienna has made an exigency landing successful Bulgaria pursuing a reported weaponry threat, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport.

Austrian Airlines formation OS82 was adjacent the borderline with Romania erstwhile the unit received a weaponry menace and decided to onshore successful the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, the Transport Ministry said successful a connection connected Sunday.

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Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence said an aerial unit MiG-29 combatant pitchy escorted the level to Sofia airport.

Initial accusation showed the craft carried six unit members and 51 passengers, each of whom person each since disembarked, according to the Transport Ministry’s statement.

The hose told the AFP quality bureau that a information hunt of the craft was conducted.

“Once the hunt of the craft is complete, the passengers volition beryllium rebooked onto alternate flights arsenic rapidly arsenic possible,” the hose said.

A situation effect squad has been acceptable up, and applicable authorities person launched an probe into the incident, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said.

According to aviation and formation tracking tract FlightAware, Austrian Airlines 82 near the Ben Gurion airdrome successful Tel Aviv connected Sunday astatine 6:46pm section clip (15:46 GMT) and landed astir 3 hours aboriginal astatine Vasil Levski airdrome successful Sofia astatine 9:43pm (18:43 GMT).

Flightradar24 information showed it entered Romanian airspace astatine astir 9:10pm (18:10 GMT) earlier turning southbound and heading backmost towards Bulgaria.

Information from the flight-tracking level ADS-B Exchange indicates the craft was transmitting squawk codification 7700 – a awesome for a wide exigency – astatine astir the aforesaid time.

Flydubai incident

Last month, a Flydubai plane carrying 174 passengers was connected its mode from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv erstwhile a co-pilot allegedly attacked the aviator with an axe successful an effort to clang the plane.

A level carrying passengers who were connected the Flydubai craft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia pursuing an exigency signal, arrives astatine the Ben Gurion airdrome adjacent Tel Aviv, Israel, connected September 30, 2026 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

The craft plunged astir 17,000 feet (5,180 metres) earlier it was brought backmost nether power by different Flydubai pilots aft passengers and different unit subdued the alleged attacker.

The formation was diverted and forced to marque an exigency landing astatine Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport successful Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Authorities successful the UAE said the co-pilot was connected a “suicide” mission to clang the level astatine Israel’s Ben Gurion airdrome successful Tel Aviv.

The co-pilot, Hamam Al-Hammami, an Omani national, has since been charged with coercion offences successful the UAE.

The Israeli authorities responded to the incidental by ordering checks connected the identities of each pilots flying into the country.