Bomb Threat Forces Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv to Sofia Diversion

By אילן ארנון

Translated & summarized from N12 by baba

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Hebrew · 7 newsrooms covering

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 26, after an anonymous bomb threat was received mid-flight. Passengers were evacuated and their belongings were inspected by a K-9 unit before they were rebooked on a new flight to Vienna. The incident occurred amid a recent rise in similar threats to flights in the region.

The story in 4 lines · by baba

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, due to a bomb threat.
Passengers were evacuated and their belongings were inspected by a K-9 unit after landing.
The flight carried 51 passengers and six crew members and was later rebooked onto a replacement flight.
The incident follows a recent attempted hijacking and other false bomb threats to flights in the region.

Bomb Threat Forces Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv to Sofia Diversion — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna operated by Austrian Airlines was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 26, following an anonymous bomb threat. Veronica, a passenger on the flight, recounted the experience, stating that the pilot initially announced a landing in Sofia due to a technical malfunction. Upon landing, however, the pilot revealed the true reason: a suspected explosive device on board.

Emergency services, including a K-9 unit, were present at the Sofia airport. Passengers were instructed to collect their belongings and exit the plane, leaving them inside for at least 20 minutes before disembarking via regular stairs. They were then told to place their items on the ground and move away while a dog inspected them and their luggage. After the inspection, passengers were bused to the terminal, where they waited for three hours before their passports were returned and they were rebooked on a new Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna, departing at 2:40 AM local time.

Despite the scare, Veronica described the situation as calm, with no panic among passengers or crew, noting that many of the passengers were Israeli and even made jokes. The flight, carrying 51 passengers and six crew members, was subjected to a security check in Sofia. The Lufthansa Group confirmed the incident, stating the aircraft underwent a security screening before passengers were transferred to a replacement flight.

This incident follows a recent attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight and two separate false bomb threats received on Delta Airlines flights to Israel the previous week.