Bomb Threat Diverts Austrian Airlines Tel Aviv–Vienna Flight to Sofia

A bomb threat prompted an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna to divert to Bulgaria on Sunday, per Bulgarian authorities and the carrier. Bulgaria's transport ministry said the crew opted for an emergency landing in Sofia after the threat was reportedly received as the aircraft approached Romania, and passengers were evacuated once on the ground. A Bulgarian air force MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the airliner under established procedures, the ministry stated. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, carried 51 passengers and six crew, according to the airline, and a security search of the plane began after it landed safely in Sofia roughly half an hour after the threat. All 57 people aboard were safely evacuated.