An Austrian Airlines flight traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an unscheduled landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday evening following a report of a suspicious object aboard the aircraft.
Passengers told ynet they had been informed that an "anonymous report of a bomb on the plane" had been received, prompting the crew to divert the flight from its original route to the Austrian capital.
Gallery
Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna lands in Sofia after reported bomb threat
(Photo: shutterstock)
Footage of Israeli passengers aboard the flight to Vienna
Among those aboard was a delegation of young people scheduled to deliver speeches at the United Nations.
After the plane took off for Vienna, the Austrian capital, and left Israeli airspace, the airline received a bomb threat from an Austrian citizen, prompting the aircraft to divert to Bulgaria. Passengers were evacuated, and security checks began aboard the plane. The Austrian citizen who reported the alleged bomb was not on board, and initial indications suggest it was a false alarm.
The Lufthansa Group said in a statement: "We confirm that a threat was received concerning Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, prompting the aircraft to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria. The plane landed safely at 8:42 p.m. Central European Summer Time. The Airbus A320 underwent security checks. There were 51 passengers and six crew members on board. Passengers will be rebooked on an alternative flight as soon as possible."
First published: 22:04, 10.18.26