An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria, after a suspected bomb threat.

What it means

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, after a bomb threat was called in by an Austrian citizen who was not on board. The aircraft landed safely, passengers disembarked, and security searches found nothing suspicious. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns for flights to and from Israel.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is well-sourced from multiple reputable news outlets (Haaretz, Reuters, AP, Sky News, etc.) reporting official statements from Austrian Airlines and Bulgarian authorities. The reporting sits close to primary sources and no conflicting information has emerged; the threat was ultimately deemed a false alarm.

How new

Genuinely new event occurring on October 18–19, 2026.

Go deeper

• Haaretz (English) — first to publish