Austrian Flight Lands in Sofia After Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday after the crew received a bomb threat and declared an emergency near Romanian airspace. Fifty-one passengers and six crew were aboard the jet, registered OE-LZE. Under established procedures, the Bulgarian Air Force sent a MiG-29 to escort the airliner to the airport. After landing about half an hour after the threat, passengers and crew evacuated while security teams inspected the aircraft. Flightradar24 data showed the plane entered Romanian airspace around 9:10 p.m. before turning south to Sofia. ADS-B Exchange data showed it squawking code 7700, the general emergency signal. The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport set up a crisis response team and launched a formal investigation. An Austrian Airlines statement said that once the inspection of the aircraft was completed, alternative flight bookings would be arranged as soon as possible; a statement to AFP said passengers would be rebooked as quickly as possible once the search was complete. No explosive device was confirmed. The credibility of the threat remained under investigation.