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Aviation bomb threats and security diversions

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2026-10-19 02:20 UTC → 2026-10-19 23:16 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A series of aviation security incidents involving bomb threats has been reported. In one instance, an Air Serbia flight departing from Split for Belgrade was evacuated after a 75-year-old male passenger claimed a bomb was on board, later stating he was “only joking”. Following a security sweep that found no explosives, the individual was removed by police for investigation, and the flight proceeded. In a separate incident, an Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 flight, designated OS82, traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna, was diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria, following an anonymous report of a suspicious object. The aircraft, carrying 51 passengers and six crew members, activated the 7700 emergency code while flying near the border of Bulgaria and Romania. The Bulgarian Air Force deployed a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the plane to Sofia Airport, where all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. While some reports indicated the plane was carrying a delegation of young people scheduled to speak at the United Nations, no explosive device was found during the subsequent security inspection. The Israeli Air Force clarified that the incident did not occur within or near Israeli airspace, and Bulgarian authorities are investigating the origin of the anonymous threat, which may have been triggered by a telephone call to Austrian authorities in Vienna. The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport has established a crisis response team to investigate the incident. The airline confirmed that passengers would be rebooked onto alternative flights once security inspections were completed. Following the security clearance at Vasil Levski Airport, where Bulgarian special forces and a crisis response team conducted a thorough search of the cabin and cargo hold, the flight resumed its journey to Vienna. Reports suggest the threat may have been made by an Austrian citizen who was not on the aircraft.

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