57 Safe After Tel Aviv-Vienna Flight Makes Emergency Landing In Bulgaria, MiG-29 Jet Escorts Plane

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Bulgaria on Sunday, October 18, after a bomb threat was reported near the Romanian border. The aircraft was escorted by a Bulgarian Air Force fighter jet to Sofia, where security searches found no danger. The flight subsequently resumed its journey to Vienna with all passengers on board.

The Airbus A320, operating as flight OS82, was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members, according to the airline. The crew reported a bomb threat signal while approaching the Romanian border and decided to divert to the Bulgarian capital.

Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry said a fighter jet was scrambled under established procedures and escorted the aircraft until it landed safely at Sofia Airport. The Bulgarian Air Force deployed a MiG-29 fighter jet for the operation.

Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft transmitted emergency transponder code 7700, which signals a general emergency, around the time of the diversion. Emergency personnel and security officials were waiting at the airport when the plane landed.

Passengers and crew were taken off the aircraft while authorities inspected the plane. Bulgarian officials established a crisis response team, and the relevant institutions began investigating the incident.

Austrian Airlines initially said passengers would be rebooked after the security checks. However, in an update on Monday, October 19, the airline confirmed that searches of the aircraft, passengers and crew had identified no danger. Passengers subsequently reboarded, and flight OS82 continued to Vienna later that night.

The precise nature of the threat and its origin have not been officially established in the latest reports. Israeli media, citing reports attributed to Haaretz and Ynet, said the warning may have come from an Austrian national who was not aboard the aircraft. Authorities have not publicly confirmed that account.

The Israeli Air Force also said the incident did not occur in or near Israeli airspace and that it was not required to intervene.

The incident comes less than three weeks after a suspected mid-air attack plot involving a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. The UAE’s attorney general said an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe and intended to crash the aircraft into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Indian captain Smit Machchar reportedly raised the alarm despite his injuries, allowing passengers to restrain the co-pilot. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely with more than 170 people aboard. Flydubai subsequently suspended its Israel routes, according to media reports.