A flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna has made an emergency landing in Bulgaria after a bomb threat, the country’s state television reported.
The flight to Vienna was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members when it made the emergency landing over Sofia, according to BNT.
It said a crew member reported receiving the threat, and an air force fighter jet escorted the plane until it landed.
The incident comes less than three weeks after the co-pilot on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv attempted to crash the plane in a suspected jihadist terror attack.
Initial reports suggested it was a false alarm. The security concerns were triggered by a suspicious object on the aircraft deck according to Israeli outlet Ynet.
The plane was carrying a delegation of young people who were due to speak at the UN, the outlet reported.
The Lufthansa Group said: “We confirm that a threat was received concerning Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, prompting the aircraft to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria. The plane landed safely at 8:42 p.m. Central European Summer Time.
“The Airbus A320 underwent security checks. There were 51 passengers and six crew members on board. Passengers will be rebooked on an alternative flight as soon as possible.”
Bulgaria’s ministry of transport and communications said that after leaving Israeli airspace, “the crew reported a bomb threat signal and decided to land in Sofia extraordinarily.
“A working headquarters has been formed and the responsible institutions have started an inspection. Passengers were taken off board the aircraft.”
Last week, two separate Delta Airlines flights from New York to Israel received anonymous bomb threats. Both were later verified as false alarms.