The incident occurred on 18/10 when an Austrian Airlines Airbus A320, with 51 passengers and six crew members, was en route from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria. The flight was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was received.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft entered Romanian airspace at 21:10 but unexpectedly changed course, heading south and re-entering Bulgarian airspace. The plane then landed at Sofia International Airport. During this period, the aircraft transmitted transponder code 7700, which indicates an in-flight emergency. This code is used for situations such as engine failure, loss of cabin pressure, or a medical emergency, requiring pilots to inform air traffic control of their specific issue.
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An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 in Barcelona, Spain, 4/2025. _Photo: AFP_
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport confirmed that pilots initiated the emergency landing after receiving a bomb threat as the plane neared Romanian airspace. The Bulgarian Air Force dispatched a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the Austrian Airlines plane. The A320 landed safely in Sofia approximately half an hour after the threat was received.
All passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft, with no injuries reported. Austrian Airlines stated that "security forces inspected the aircraft. Once completed, passengers were arranged on alternative flights as soon as possible". A crisis response team has been established, and relevant authorities are investigating the incident, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport.
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A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet. _Photo: Bulgarian Ministry of Defense_
This event follows other recent aviation security concerns. Weeks prior, a first officer on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain, attempting to seize control and crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport, but the plot was thwarted by the captain, passengers, and crew. Last week, Croatia and Germany dispatched fighter jets when a commercial flight from the Greek resort island of Corfu to the German city of Nuremberg accidentally transmitted a hijack alert signal.
By Huyen Le (AFP, AP)
