In brief
A plane from Israel landed at Sofia airport on Nov. 3 after an email bomb threat triggered a security check by counter‑terrorism units. Bulgarian Interior Ministry officials confirmed the inspection and reported no incidents. The event caused a brief delay for passengers but no injuries or casualties were recorded.
A plane bound for Sofia arrived from Israel late on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when a bomb threat received by e‑mail set in motion a security response at the capital’s main airport, Xinhua reported. The aircraft was placed under a counter‑terrorism inspection before passengers could disembark, the news agency said.
Local media indicated that the threat message appeared in the airport’s intranet system, arriving hours before the plane touched down. The email allegedly warned that a device had been hidden on the aircraft, prompting authorities to act quickly, Xinhua added.
Counter‑terrorism units from the Bulgarian Interior Ministry entered the airplane’s passenger cabin and cargo hold, checking for suspicious objects and blasting the interior with ratsanous scanners, the source said. A spokesperson named the action secretary general Lyubomir Nikolov as the point person overseeing the operation.
According to Xinhua, the inspection team discovered no explosives or threats on the plane. Cabin crew and passengers were told to remain calm while the aircraft was cleared for departure, the agency reported.
Passengers experienced a brief delay of about 45 minutes while the security check was carried out. Several travelers filed brief complaints about the inconvenience, but no injuries or casualties were reported, the source noted.
In a statement released to Xinhua, Lyubomir Nikolov said the Interior Ministry had "diligently verified the safety of the passenger’s flight," and added that additional protocols would be reviewed to prevent future incidents.
The incident highlighted the ongoing vigilance at European airports regarding potential threats from electronic communications. Bulgarian officials said they would continue to monitor email traffic and enforce strict airport security measures for inbound flights, the report concluded.
