An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Bulgaria on Sunday night after a bomb threat, prompting the Bulgarian air force to dispatch a fighter jet to escort the aircraft, authorities and the airline said.
The Airbus A320 landed safely in Sofia, where all 51 passengers and six crew members were evacuated while authorities searched the plane, according to the Bulgarian Transport Ministry and Austrian Airlines.
Austrian Airlines told AFP that the aircraft touched down in the Bulgarian capital about half an hour after the threat was received. No injuries were reported.
Bulgaria’s air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the passenger plane during the diversion, the Transport Ministry said.
Authorities launched an investigation into the incident and conducted a security inspection of the aircraft. Austrian Airlines later confirmed that no threat was found aboard the plane.
After the search was completed, the flight resumed its journey to Vienna with all passengers back on board.
The incident follows a separate aviation security emergency last month involving a flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
During that flight, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a crash axe in an attempt to seize control of the aircraft.
Although wounded in the attack, the captain fought back and opened the cockpit door. Passengers and crew were then able to overpower the co-pilot.
The aircraft subsequently made a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.