Bomb threat diverts Tel Aviv flight to Bulgaria under NATO jet escort

Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to divert to Sofia late Sunday after the crew received a bomb warning while flying near the Romanian border, with Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets scrambled to escort the Airbus A320 carrying 51 passengers and six crew members to safety, according to statements from the airline and Bulgarian authorities.

NATO jets scrambled to escort diverted plane

The aircraft landed safely in the Bulgarian capital following coordination with NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre in Spain, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry said. Passengers were evacuated upon arrival while authorities launched security checks of the jet, with Austrian Airlines stating that travelers would be rebooked on alternative flights once inspections were completed.

Anonymous warning traced to Austrian citizen

The bomb threat was issued by an Austrian citizen who claimed explosives were aboard the aircraft after it departed Tel Aviv, though the individual was not on the plane, Israeli news website Ynet reported. Among those on board was a delegation of young people expected to address the United Nations, the outlet added, noting that passengers were informed of the anonymous warning mid-flight.

Incident follows similar scare at Ben Gurion

Early indications suggested the threat could be a false alarm, Ynet reported, although Bulgarian authorities had yet to announce the results of their investigation. The diversion came just days after a similar bomb scare involving a Delta Air Lines flight from New York that landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport last Tuesday, where security checks later confirmed the alert was unfounded.