Bomb threat forces flight from Israel to land in Bulgaria under fighter jet escort

A bomb threat forced an Austrian Airlines flight from Israel to Vienna to make an emergency landing in Bulgaria late Sunday under fighter jet escort, Israeli media reported.

The Airbus A320, operating as flight OS82 from Tel Aviv, landed safely in the capital Sofia with 51 passengers and six crew members on board, the airline confirmed.

The Israeli news website Ynet reported that Austrian Airlines received a warning from an Austrian citizen claiming a bomb was aboard the aircraft after it had departed Israel.

The person who reported the threat was not on the plane, according to the outlet.

Passengers told Ynet they had been informed of an anonymous bomb threat that forced the flight to change course.

Among those on board was a delegation of young people expected to address the United Nations, the Israeli outlet reported.

Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said the crew reported receiving the bomb warning while flying near the Romanian border and decided to divert to Sofia.

The Bulgarian Defense Ministry said MiG-29 fighter jets were scrambled to escort the aircraft to the airport in an operation coordinated with NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre in Spain.

Passengers were evacuated after landing, while Bulgarian authorities launched security checks of the aircraft.

Austrian Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, said passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights following the inspections.

Ynet reported that early indications suggested the threat could be a false alarm, although authorities had yet to announce the results of their investigation.

The incident followed a similar bomb scare involving a Delta Air Lines flight from New York that landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport last Tuesday.

Passengers were evacuated, and the aircraft was moved to an isolated area for inspection following an anonymous warning. Security checks later confirmed the alert was false.