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.
\n\nAustrian Airlines said the threat was made against Flight 82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna, which required a stopover in Sofia. The flight landed safely at 8:42 p.m. local time (2:42 p.m. ET), it said.
\n\nThe 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.
\n\nData from air tracker Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft, registered OE-LZE, was set to leave Tel Aviv for Vienna but was diverted to Sofia.
\n\nSky News earlier reported, citing Bulgaria’s transport ministry, that the plane landed after a “bomb threat signal.”
\n\n“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.
\n\nAn air force fighter accompanied the plane until it landed in Sofia, with the passengers subsequently taken off the aircraft, the report added.
\n\nThe ministry did not immediately respond to a…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/