Sofia, Bulgaria: An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 operating flight OS82 from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria, was cleared of any threat following security checks in Sofia, Bulgaria, after a reported bomb threat forced it to divert on 18 October 2026. The aircraft landed safely at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport with 51 passengers and six crew members aboard, escorted by a Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet. An Austrian Airlines spokesperson confirmed the outcome of the checks to the media on Monday, 19 October, and no injuries were reported.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A320 registered as OE-LZE. It departed Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, bound for Vienna International Airport. During the journey, the aircraft changed course and diverted to Sofia after the crew reported a bomb threat near the Bulgarian-Romanian border.
According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the crew reported the threat while the aircraft was near the border and decided to make an unscheduled landing in Sofia rather than continue to Vienna.
The ministry said in a statement, “During the flight, on the border with Romania, the crew reported a bomb threat signal and decided to land in Sofia extraordinarily.”
The precise method through which the threat was communicated to the crew has not been established in the publicly quoted official statements. A report by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, said the warning came from an Austrian citizen who claimed there was a bomb aboard the aircraft. The individual was reportedly not on the plane. This detail has not been independently confirmed by Austrian Airlines or Bulgarian authorities.
As the crew responded to the threat, the aircraft turned away from its planned route to Vienna and headed towards Sofia. Flight-tracking reports indicated that the aircraft transmitted transponder code 7700, the internationally recognised code for a general emergency. The code signals an emergency situation but does not, by itself, identify the nature of the problem.
Bulgaria’s Air Force dispatched a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the passenger aircraft to Sofia. The fighter accompanied the Airbus until it landed, according to the Bulgarian transport ministry’s statement.
The aircraft landed safely at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport on Sunday evening. The diversion prompted an emergency response by Bulgarian authorities, who coordinated the aircraft’s arrival and subsequent security checks.
Following the landing, all 51 passengers and six crew members left the aircraft. Bulgarian authorities began security checks, including a search of the aircraft, while a crisis response team was established to coordinate the response.
Austrian Airlines confirmed that the threat had forced the flight to stop in Sofia. In a statement the airline said, “We can confirm that a threat was made against flight OS82 on October 18 2026 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, which necessitated a stopover in Sofia.”
The airline also said the aircraft was being searched and that passengers would be rebooked once the inspection was complete. “Once the aircraft has been searched, the passengers will be rebooked on to a prompt alternative flight.”
The airline said passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority, according to reports quoting its statement.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed that the crew reported the threat near the Romanian border and chose to divert to Sofia. It also said a fighter jet accompanied the aircraft until landing.
In its statement, the ministry said, “According to the procedures, an Air Force fighter took off and accompanied the plane until it landed at the airport in Sofia.” The ministry added that a response structure had been established and that the responsible institutions had begun inspections.
“A working headquarters has been formed and the responsible institutions have started an inspection. Passengers were taken off board the aircraft.”
As of the latest reports, Austrian Airlines announced on Monday that security checks conducted on flight OS82, as well as its passengers and crew in Sofia, cleared the aircraft of any threat following its forced diversion on Sunday during the Tel Aviv–Vienna route.
