Emergency landing in the Bulgarian capital
An Austrian Airlines aircraft flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna was redirected to Sofia on Sunday after a bomb warning, according to Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport and Communications. Preliminary information from authorities in the Balkan country put six crew members and 51 passengers aboard the Airbus A320.[S1][S2][S3][S4]
While the plane was still in the air, close to the Romanian border, the crew learned of a possible threat and the decision was taken to land at the airport serving the Bulgarian capital. Bulgarian security personnel inspected the aircraft after passengers were taken off, and authorities have so far not established whether a real threat existed.[S1]
How the warning reached the crew
Israeli press reported that Austrian authorities in Vienna received a telephone call warning of a suspicious object on board. Following established procedures, a Bulgarian Air Force fighter jet took off and accompanied the airliner until it touched down in Sofia.[S1]
A scare weeks after an attempted attack
The episode occurred less than three weeks after the co-pilot of a Flydubai service from Dubai to Tel Aviv tried to crash the aircraft in what was described as a terrorist act; the captain and several Israeli passengers managed to stop the attempt.[S1]
Trump endorses Netanyahu ahead of October vote
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's re-election campaign on Sunday, a boost the Israeli leader had sought for months while the two men's strategies diverged. In a social media post, Trump described Netanyahu as a great warrior prime minister and an even better partner for peace in the confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.[S1]
Israelis are due to vote on 27 October, in the first national elections since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.[S1]
