Austrian Airlines Flight Diverted to Bulgaria After Bomb Threat

An Austrian Airlines flight bound for Vienna was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday following a bomb threat. The aircraft, an Airbus A320 operating as flight OS82, had departed from Ben Gurion Airport at 7:04 PM local time. While over the border region between Romania and Bulgaria, an anonymous report of a potential bomb on board was received. The pilot declared an emergency and transmitted the international distress code Squawk 7700, leading to the diversion to Sofia Airport. The plane landed safely around 7:42 PM local time, where security forces and emergency teams were present. Passengers and crew were evacuated and attended to by Bulgarian authorities. An airport spokesperson confirmed that everyone on board was safe. The aircraft was moved to an isolated area for bomb disposal and security checks. As of the initial reports, no explosive device had been found. The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the incident's circumstances, and the origin of the threat remains undetermined. This alert follows several recent threats targeting flights to and from Israel, including unfounded threats against Delta Air Lines flights from New York to Ben Gurion Airport the previous week. Authorities have not established a link between these incidents and the Austrian Airlines flight diversion.