An Austrian Airlines flight bound for Vienna was forced to make an emergency diversion to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday evening following an anonymous bomb threat.
All 51 passengers and six crew members aboard the aircraft were evacuated safely, and initial investigations suggest the threat was a false alarm.
Flight OS82, operated on an Airbus A320-214, departed from Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at approximately 7:04 p.m. local time on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
Shortly after leaving Israeli airspace and cruising near the border between Romania and Bulgaria, the flight crew received a bomb threat report. In response, the captain declared an airborne emergency by transmitting transponder code Squawk 7700 and requested immediate redirection to Sofia Airport (SOF) in Bulgaria.
The plane landed safely in Sofia at 8:42 p.m. Central European Summer Time (7:42 p.m. local time). Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets were deployed to escort the airliner into Bulgarian airspace and ensure a safe landing.
Upon landing, local emergency services, airport security personnel, and bomb disposal units immediately surrounded the aircraft. The plane was taxied to a designated isolated area of the airfield to minimize risk to other terminal operations.
”All passengers and crew were safe and unharmed,” confirmed an airport spokesperson. “The aircraft was moved to an isolated area, where bomb disposal teams and security personnel conducted searches in accordance with established procedures.”
Authorities confirmed that no explosive devices were found during the initial inspection. Passengers were evacuated to the terminal and provided with accommodations while security screenings were carried out.
Parent company Lufthansa Group issued an official statement confirming the incident;
“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.”
Preliminary investigations indicate the bomb threat was phoned in by an Austrian citizen who was not a passenger on the flight, pointing toward a hoax. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force clarified that because the emergency unfolded well outside Israeli airspace, local defense forces were not called to intervene.
Arrangements are underway to rebook the stranded passengers on onward flights to Vienna as security clearances conclude.
