Austrian Airlines flight diverts to Sofia after bomb threat, no danger found

An Austrian Airlines flight bound from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 18, 2026, after a bomb threat, according to the airline. Bulgarian fighter aircraft escorted the Airbus A320 as it made the diversion.

The carrier said the flight, OS82, was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members. Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said the crew reported the threat near the Romanian border and chose to land in Sofia. Passengers disembarked after arrival while authorities ran security checks on the aircraft, the people on board and their baggage.

The Bulgarian Defence Ministry said two MiG-29 fighters were launched under its air policing mission, with the response coordinated through NATO's Combined Air Operations Center in Torrejón, Spain.

Austrian Airlines said on October 19 that the checks had found no danger. The aircraft, identified in flight tracking data as an A320-200 registered OE-LZE, then flew on to Vienna with all passengers aboard. The airline had earlier said travellers would be rebooked onto other flights if the inspection required it.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the threat was made by telephone to Vienna Airport. Speaking alongside his Bulgarian counterpart, he confirmed an investigation was open but gave no further details.