SOFIA, Oct 19 (Bernama-dpa) -- An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was forced to make an unscheduled landing in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Sunday evening following a threat against the aircraft, German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing the Austrian news agency APA.
The Airbus A320 was being searched following the diversion, Austrian Airlines said in a statement quoted by APA, confirming that a threat had been made.
Israeli media reported a suspected bomb threat was received after the plane departed Israel. The aircraft was near the Bulgarian-Romanian border at the time, according to the reports.
The plane landed safely in Sofia with 51 passengers and six crew members on board, APA reported. Passengers would be rebooked on alternative flights as quickly as possible once the aircraft had been inspected.
On Sept 30, a serious incident occurred on a flight operated by Emirates-based carrier Flydubai en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe, sending the aircraft plummeting.
The pilot, an Indian national, suffered serious injuries but managed to open the door to the cockpit, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and stabilise the plane. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
According to investigators in the United Arab Emirates, the Omani co-pilot had planned a suicide attack, intending to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
-- BERNAMA-dpa