Austrian Airlines Flight Diverts to Sofia After Threat

Austrian Airlines flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia on Sunday, October 18, after the crew reported a bomb-threat signal, Bulgarian officials said. The Airbus A320 landed safely, and all 51 passengers and six crew members disembarked. The crew reported receiving the signal while the aircraft was near the border with Romania and decided to land in the Bulgarian capital, according to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport and Communications. The ministry said an Air Force fighter escorted the plane to Sofia. Bulgarian defense officials said fighter jets were scrambled in response to the alert. Austrian Airlines and its parent company, Lufthansa Group, said the aircraft was undergoing security checks after landing. The airline said passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights once the inspection was complete. The ministry reported that authorities had formed a response team and begun an investigation. The reports available Monday did not establish who made the threat, whether it was credible or what the inspection found. A report citing preliminary information said a Vienna resident had called Austrian police, but that attribution was not independently...