📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Matti Blume
International
Bomb Threat Forces Tel Aviv-Vienna Flight to Emergency Land in Sofia
✍️ Aaj Tak
🗓 19 Oct 2026, 06:11 AM
👁 15
A flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna received a bomb threat, prompting an emergency landing at Sofia, Bulgaria. The aircraft, carrying 51 passengers and six crew, was escorted by Bulgarian Air Force fighter jets.
The flight, operating between Tel Aviv and Vienna, was notified of a bomb threat while en route. Following standard security procedures, the crew decided to divert to the nearest suitable airport, which was Sofia in Bulgaria. Upon receiving the threat, Bulgarian air traffic control cleared the aircraft for an emergency landing at Sofia Airport.
After landing, all 51 passengers and six crew members disembarked safely. Bulgarian authorities, including the Air Force, scrambled fighter jets to escort the aircraft to the airport as a precautionary measure. The jets accompanied the flight until it touched down and then returned to base.
Security teams at Sofia Airport conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft and its contents. No explosive device was found, and the threat is being investigated by relevant law enforcement agencies. The passengers were later re‑accommodated on alternative flights to continue their journey to Vienna.
After landing, all 51 passengers and six crew members disembarked safely. Bulgarian authorities, including the Air Force, scrambled fighter jets to escort the aircraft to the airport as a precautionary measure. The jets accompanied the flight until it touched down and then returned to base.
Security teams at Sofia Airport conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft and its contents. No explosive device was found, and the threat is being investigated by relevant law enforcement agencies. The passengers were later re‑accommodated on alternative flights to continue their journey to Vienna.