Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Bomb Threat Forces Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv To Vienna To Land In Sofia
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Austrian Airlines OS82 diverted from Tel Aviv to Vienna to Sofia due to bomb threat. Escorted by Bulgarian fighter jets, it landed safely in Sofia.
Bomb threat diverts flight
A bomb threat forced an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria, after the crew decided to make an emergency landing in Sofia when it was nearing Romania, Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said in a statement. The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner as part of established procedures, the Transport Ministry said, and the airline said a security search of the aircraft was launched after it safely landed in Sofia about a half hour after the threat.
The airline told AFP that 51 passengers and six crew were aboard the flight, and the aircraft, an Airbus A320 registered OE-LZE, entered Romanian airspace at around 9:10 p.m. before turning south and heading back towards Bulgaria. Flightradar24 data showed the aircraft transmitting squawk code 7700, a signal for a general emergency, at around the same time, and the transport Ministry said a crisis response team had been set up and relevant authorities had launched an investigation into the incident.
Evacuation and inspection
Austrian Airlines flight OS82, operated by an Airbus A320 with registration OE-LZE, declared a general emergency by broadcasting squawk code 7700 while cruising at 38,000 feet over Bulgarian airspace, airlive said.
The flight crew initiated a rapid descent and safely landed at Sofia Airport about 4 hours and 40 minutes after departure, and emergency response teams and security personnel met the aircraft at a remote parking position.
Lufthansa Group confirmed that a threat was received concerning Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, prompting the aircraft to divert to Sofia, and the Lufthansa Group said the plane landed safely at 8:42 p.m. Central European Summer Time.
Passengers were evacuated and the Airbus A320 underwent security checks, and the airline said passengers would be rebooked on an alternative flight as soon as possible once the inspection was completed.
Threat origin disputed
Bulgarian authorities said the crew reported receiving a bomb threat while the aircraft was near the border with Romania, and the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed the diversion to Sofia, according to Clarin.
Israeli press reported that Austrian authorities received a phone call in Vienna alerting to the presence of a suspected object on board the aircraft, and Clarin added that the Israeli press said the threat came from an Austrian citizen who was not on board the aircraft.
The discovery of a bomb had not been confirmed so far and investigations were underway into the origin of the threat, while the Israel Air Force clarified that the incident occurred outside its airspace and that it did not participate in the operation.
The incident followed other aviation security alerts linked to Israel that De Último Minuto listed, including bomb alerts on October 13 on two Delta Air Lines flights at Ben Gurion Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, and it said a task force had been formed and relevant Bulgarian institutions began an investigation into the incident.