Flight from Tel Aviv makes emergency touchdown in Bulgaria ‘after bomb menace’

A flight from Israel’s Tel Aviv needed to make an emergency touchdown in Bulgaria after a reported bomb menace.

The Austrian Airlines Airbus A320, which was headed from Israel to Vienna, made the emergency stopover in Sofia after what the airline confirmed was a menace made in opposition to the flight.

Flight OS83, carrying 51 passengers and 6 crew members, landed safely at Sofia Airport (SOF) at 8.42 pm on Sunday, October 18, or 7.42 pm BST, with all aboard evacuated.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed the flight crew reported a ‘bomb menace sign’ whereas on the border with Romania, prompting them to land within the Bulgarian capital round half-hour later.

The ministry stated a disaster response staff has now been arrange and the related authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

‘According to the procedures, an Air Force fighter took off and accompanied the airplane till it landed on the airport in Sofia,’ a spokesperson stated.

‘A working headquarters has been shaped, and the accountable establishments have began an inspection. Passengers have been taken off board the plane.’

According to Flightradar24 information, the plane, registered OE-LZE, entered Romanian airspace at round 9.10 pm earlier than turning south and heading again in the direction of Bulgaria, the place it landed in Sofia.

Data from flight-tracking platform ADS-B Exchange signifies the plane was transmitting squawk code 7700 – a sign for a normal emergency – at across the similar time.

A spokesperson from Austrian Airlines confirmed a ‘menace’ was made in opposition to the flight, which ‘necessitated a stopover in Sofia’.

They stated: ‘We can verify {that a} menace was made in opposition to flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna (TLV to VIE), which necessitated a stopover in Sofia (SOF).

‘The flight landed safely in SOF at 20:42 CEST. The plane in query – an Airbus A320 – is now being searched. There have been 51 passengers and 6 crew members on board.

‘Once the plane has been searched, the passengers will probably be rebooked onto a immediate various flight. The security of our passengers and crew is all the time our high precedence.’