Austrian Airlines Flight Diverts to Sofia After Bomb Threat

On the evening of October 18, Austrian Airlines flight OS82, an Airbus A320 (OE-LZE) from Tel Aviv to Vienna, declared an emergency after a bomb threat was reported aboard. The crew transmitted squawk 7700 and landed safely at Sofia Airport. All 51 passengers and six crew members were evacuated and the aircraft was moved to an isolated stand for inspection.

Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv declared an emergency and diverted over bomb threat The Jerusalem PostThe Straits TimesThe Media LineTimes of IsraelArutz Sheva (Israel National News)Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv forced to make emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv Diverted Over Bomb Threat, Third in a Week • YeahThatsKosher YnetNewsTimes of Israel

The diversion came amid recent security alerts involving flights to or from Israel. Earlier in the month, a flydubai flight was the target of a cockpit-attack, and a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at Ben Gurion was evacuated after an anonymous bomb threat. The October 18 incident is the third bomb-related alert affecting an Israel-originating flight in a short period.

Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv Diverted Over Bomb Threat, Third in a Week • YeahThatsKosher Times of IsraelArutz Sheva (Israel National News)The Media LineTimes of IsraelManchester Evening NewsThe IndependentThe Straits TimesAustrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv forced to make emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat The Jerusalem Post

• Flight: OS82

Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv forced to make emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat

• Aircraft: Airbus A320, OE-LZE

Times of Israel

• Departure: 18:50 IDT from Tel Aviv

Austrian Airlines Flight From Tel Aviv Diverted Over Bomb Threat, Third in a Week • YeahThatsKosher

• Passengers: 51 (plus six crew)

Times of Israel

• Emergency signal: squawk 7700 transmitted over Bulgarian airspace

Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv declared an emergency and diverted over bomb threat

• Landing time: reported between 7:42 p.m. and 8:42 p.m. local time

The Straits Times

• Escort: One MiG-29 fighter jet from the Bulgarian Air Force

The Straits Times

• Bulgarian Transport Ministry confirmed the threat report and the diversion to Sofia, where passengers were evacuated under local security supervision.

Flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna makes emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat

• Bulgarian Defense Ministry said a MiG-29 was scrambled to escort the aircraft.

The Straits Times

• The airline announced that passengers will be rebooked onto alternative flights after inspections.

Times of Israel

• Israeli media noted the warning may have originated from an Austrian citizen not on board, while other outlets cited an anonymous call from Vienna.

YnetNews

Sources differ on several details:

Times of Israel

• Landing time: J-Post lists 7:42 p.m., Lufthansa Group cites 8:42 p.m. CET, and Themedialine records the alert transmission at 9:17 p.m. local time.

The Straits Times

• Source of the threat: Reports vary between an “anonymous” caller, an Austrian citizen not traveling, and a crew member’s initial report. No source has been publicly identified.

YnetNews

• Squawk code usage: J-Post and Flightradar24 confirm squawk 7700, but the exact activation point (over Romania vs. Bulgaria) differs.

Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv declared an emergency and diverted over bomb threat

These discrepancies reflect the ongoing investigation and limited publicly available information.

Times of Israel

• “The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority.” — Bulgaria’s Ministry

Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv forced to make emergency landing in Bulgaria after bomb threat

Bulgarian authorities have formed a crisis response team and are investigating the bomb-threat call. Lufthansa Group said passengers will be placed on alternative flights once security inspections are complete. No explosives have been found, and the airline plans to resume scheduled service pending clearance from Bulgarian and Austrian aviation regulators.

The Media Line