Plane from Tel Aviv makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat — Anadolu Agency

An Austrian Airlines aircraft operating flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, after a report of a possible bomb on board. There were 51 passengers and six crew members aboard the Airbus A320.

Fighter jets escorted the plane

As Anadolu Agency reports, the crew received the warning while flying near the Romanian border and decided to divert to Sofia. Bulgaria’s Defense Ministry said MiG-29 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the airliner. The operation was coordinated with NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Spain.

After landing, the passengers were evacuated and Bulgarian services began inspecting the aircraft. The airline said that after the inspection is completed, passengers will be transferred to alternative flights.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The report came after departure

Israeli website Ynet reported that Austrian Airlines received a warning from an Austrian citizen after the plane had already left Israel. According to the outlet, the person who reported the threat was not on board. Passengers were also told about an anonymous report that caused the flight to change course.

Among the passengers was a delegation of young people who were due to speak at the UN, Ynet writes. The outlet noted that preliminary information indicated the report could be false, but the results of the inspection had not been officially announced at the time of publication.