Austrian Airlines Flight Diverts to Bulgaria After Bomb Threat

Flytechnews | 19 October 2026

An Austrian Airlines passenger flight travelling from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Vienna, Austria, was forced to make an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday, 18 October, following a reported bomb threat.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320 operating as flight OS82, was carrying 51 passengers and six crew members when the threat was reported during the journey. The crew decided to divert to Sofia as the aircraft approached the Bulgarian-Romanian border, prompting an emergency response from Bulgarian authorities.

According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport, a fighter jet from the Bulgarian Air Force was dispatched to escort the aircraft to Sofia Airport, where it landed safely. All passengers and crew members disembarked after landing, while security checks were initiated to establish whether there was any danger aboard the aircraft.

Austrian Airlines confirmed that a threat had been made against the flight but did not initially disclose further details about its nature. The airline said passengers would be transferred to alternative flights as soon as the aircraft search was completed.

Bulgarian authorities established a crisis response team and launched an investigation into the incident. At the time of reporting, officials had not publicly confirmed the outcome of the security inspection or identified the source of the threat.

The diversion highlights the importance of established aviation security procedures, which require flight crews and authorities to respond cautiously to any potential threat, even when its credibility has not yet been established.

For the affected passengers, the incident resulted in an unexpected stopover and travel disruption. Austrian Airlines said it would work to arrange alternative flights to help passengers continue their journeys to Vienna.

Flytechnews will continue to monitor developments as further information becomes available.