SOFIA, Bulgaria — An Austrian Airlines flight en route from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to make an emergency diversion to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday following a bomb threat regarding a suspicious object on board.
Flight OS82, operated by an Airbus A320 (registration OE-LZE), departed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 18:50 IDT. The aircraft was cruising at 38,000 feet over Bulgarian airspace when the flight crew declared a general emergency by broadcasting squawk code 7700.
The flight crew immediately initiated a rapid descent and safely landed at Sofia Airport (SOF) approximately 4 hours and 40 minutes after departure.
Incident Timeline
- Departure:Flight OS82 departs Tel Aviv at 18:50 IDT bound for Vienna International Airport.
- In-Flight Emergency:While cruising over Bulgaria, Austrian authorities received a telephone call originating from Vienna warning of a suspicious object aboard the aircraft.
- Diversion: The crew declared squawk 7700 and began a immediate descent toward Sofia Airport.
- Landing & Security Protocols:The Airbus A320 touched down safely and was immediately directed to a isolated, remote stand on the SOF tarmac.
Passengers Evacuated and Aircraft Scanned
Upon reaching the remote parking position, emergency response teams and security personnel met the aircraft. All 51 passengers and 6 crew members were safely evacuated to the terminal while specialized units conducted a thorough security inspection of the cabin and cargo hold.
According to initial reports, the threat appears to have been a false alarm, with investigations underway regarding the anonymous call made in Vienna.
Following security sweeps and clearance by local aviation authorities, the aircraft is expected to resume its journey and depart Sofia for Vienna shortly after midnight.
