Austrian Airlines Tel Aviv-Vienna flight makes emergency landing in Sofia after bomb threat
An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was received near the Romanian border. The Airbus A320 was escorted by a Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 before landing safely in the Bulgarian capital. Authorities said the aircraft had 6 crew members and 51 passengers on board.
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According to the Bulgarian transport ministry, the plane entered Romanian airspace at about 21:10 local time before turning back south toward Bulgaria. The aircraft transmitted the emergency squawk code 7700, which is used to signal a general emergency. Officials said a security inspection was launched after the landing, and an investigation into the threat began.
The passengers were due to be rebooked onto other flights after the inspection, according to the airline. No injuries were reported in the supplied material. The incident prompted a military escort and a diversion from the planned route, underlining the operational impact of the threat even though the aircraft landed without further reported damage.
The case comes at a time when aviation security remains a sensitive issue for flights crossing multiple national airspaces in southeastern Europe. A bomb threat on a commercial route can trigger rapid coordination between airlines, civil aviation authorities and the military, especially when an aircraft is already close to a border. In this case, the response involved Bulgarian authorities, the air force and the airline, with the plane redirected to Sofia rather than continuing toward Vienna.
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The supplied material does not say who made the threat or whether any device was found. It also does not give a timeline for when the security inspection will be completed. What remains to be seen is the outcome of the investigation and whether the incident leads to any wider operational changes for the route or for airport security procedures.
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