Six crew members and 51 passengers were on board
Flight-tracking data cited by Sky News showed that the aircraft landed at around 9.25pm UTC. Earlier reporting noted: The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner as part of established procedures, the Transport Ministry said. Earlier reporting noted: Data from another flight-tracking platform, ADS-B Exchange, indicates that the aircraft was transmitting squawk code 7700 — a signal for a general emergency — at around the same time.
The Airbus A320, operating as flight OS82, was diverted to Sofia after the threat was reported near the Romanian border, according to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Times of Israel also reported that security concerns arose after a suspicious object was allegedly spotted on the aircraft’s deck.
Passengers said the emergency was triggered by an anonymous report claiming that a bomb was on board, according to Israel’s Ynet. Earlier reporting noted: The Austrian Airlines crew decided to make an emergency landing in Sofia after reportedly receiving a bomb threat as they neared Romania, Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry said in a statement, adding that the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft after landing. An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, after the crew received a bomb threat signal during the journey, prompting a security inspection. The plane reportedly transmitted an emergency signal. The incident comes less than three weeks after a security scare involving a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, in which the captain and several Israeli passengers reportedly thwarted an alleged attempt by the co-pilot to crash the aircraft.