Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv diverts to Sofia after 'threat'

​An Austrian Airlines flight ‌from ​Tel Aviv carrying 57 people was diverted to the Bulgarian capital Sofia late on Sunday after ‌a threat was made against the aircraft, an airline spokesperson told Reuters.

Austrian Airlines said the threat was made against flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to ‌Vienna, which required a stopover in Sofia. The flight landed safely at ‌2042 CEST (1842 GMT), it said. The Airbus A320 is being searched, and passengers will be rebooked onto an alternative flight once that is complete, the airline said. There were ⁠51 passengers ​and six crew ⁠members aboard.

Data from air tracker Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, registered OE-LZE, was set to ⁠leave Tel Aviv for Vienna but was diverted to Sofia. Sky News earlier reported, ​citing Bulgaria’s transport ministry, that the plane landed after a “bomb threat ⁠signal.”

“During the flight, on the border with Romania, the crew reported a bomb threat ⁠signal ​and decided to land in Sofia extraordinarily,” the ministry said, according to the report. An Air Force fighter accompanied the plane until ⁠it landed in Sofia, with the passengers subsequently taken off the aircraft, the report ⁠added.

The ministry ⁠did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.