Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverts to Sofia after bomb threat

An Austrian Airlines flight bound for Vienna from Tel Aviv was diverted to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on Sunday after a bomb threat was made against the aircraft. The Times of Israel reported, citing Bulgaria's transport ministry and the airline, that the crew chose to make an emergency landing after reportedly receiving the threat while approaching Romania, and that passengers were taken off the plane once it was on the ground.

According to the airline, quoted by AFP via The Times of Israel, the Airbus A320 had 51 passengers and six crew on board, and touched down safely in Sofia roughly half an hour after the threat came in. A security search began after landing. Ynet reported that passengers were told of an anonymous report of a bomb on the aircraft, and that the initial indications were that the threat was false.

What the airline and the Bulgarian authorities said

Bulgaria's transport ministry said its air force sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner, describing this as part of established procedure.

The Lufthansa Group, the European airline group that includes Austrian Airlines, issued a statement saying the aircraft was undergoing security checks. As carried in The Times of Israel's live coverage, the group said all 51 passengers would be moved to a replacement aircraft as soon as possible once the scan was complete. The statement stressed that the wellbeing of those on board, travellers and crew alike, always comes first. A Ynet alert summarised the same statement, saying the plane in Sofia had been scanned.

The Israeli news site News.co.il reported that after Bulgarian security personnel searched the plane, it appeared the report had been false.

The route and the places involved

The flight departed from Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international airport near Tel Aviv, known in Hebrew by the abbreviation Natbag. Its destination was Vienna, the home base of Austrian Airlines. A route from Israel to Austria crosses the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, which is why the aircraft was near Romania, Bulgaria's northern neighbour, when the threat reportedly arrived. Sofia was the airport chosen for the emergency landing.

Where the accounts differ

The reports do not fully agree on how the threat was made or by whom.

• Ynet reported that an Austrian citizen reported a bomb on the aircraft, while also saying passengers were informed of an anonymous report.
• The Times of Israel cited the Haaretz newspaper as saying the person behind the threat was an Austrian national who was not on the plane.
• News.co.il said a person telephoned to report a bomb on the plane.
• The Times of Israel's live coverage described the trigger as a report of a suspicious object on board, citing Hebrew media.
• Bulgaria's transport ministry, as quoted by The Times of Israel, said the crew reportedly received the threat, without specifying how.

None of these accounts has been reconciled in the reports, and none gives the identity of the person said to be responsible.

A pattern of hoax calls

News.co.il noted that in recent weeks several similar calls had been received concerning flights travelling to or from Israel, and that these had turned out to be false. The outlet added that strict procedures require every such threat to be checked, even when those handling it suspect a nuisance caller. It did not name the earlier flights or airlines.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not state whether any suspicious item was found, only that early indications pointed to a false alarm. They do not say whether Austrian, Bulgarian or Israeli authorities have opened an investigation, whether anyone has been identified or detained, or whether the threat is linked to the earlier calls News.co.il mentioned. They also do not give the flight number, the time the replacement aircraft left Sofia, or when passengers reached Vienna.