In brief
A flight from Israel landed at Sofia Airport after an email bomb threat prompted a counter‑terrorism inspection. Both the Interior Minister’s secretary and the Transport Minister confirmed that no explosives were found and that all protocols were followed. Authorities are investigating the source of the threat while maintaining heightened security.
In Athens a flight from Israel landed at Sofia Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, after an email bomb threat triggered the Bulgarian Interior Ministry to activate its counter‑terrorism protocol, prompting a thorough inspection of the aircraft and its cargo.
The counter‑terrorism team, deployed from the Ministry’s Special Unit, searched the fuselage, lavatory, cargo hold and all external surfaces for potential explosive devices. They also inspected the cabin and the accompanying maintenance equipment, conducting the operation without interference from the flight crew or airline staff.
Lyubomir Nikolov, the Interior Ministry’s secretary general in charge of action matters, told local reporters in Pernik that the inspection was “in line with established protocols” and that authorities were working to identify the sender of the email. He added that no indications of a terrorist plot had emerged so far.
Transport Minister Georgi Peev confirmed to media that no explosive devices were discovered on the two aircraft that had been targeted – one arriving from Dubai and the other from Bergamo. He emphasized that the flights were not diverted and that the protocols for emergency information flow were respected.
Investigation Findings
Earlier that week, bomb threats were addressed by Sofia Airport to several institutions, prompting investigations into emails originating from European IP addresses. Authorities traced the messages back to foreign accounts and are pursuing the origin of the threat.
Nikolov noted that in previous cases similar threats had been traced to particular email addresses and their IPs located outside Bulgaria. He warned that airlines might increasingly become targets, potentially requiring diversions and additional security measures on national and international flights.
The Ministry assured the public that all standard procedures were followed, from reporting the threat by the airline pilot to activating air‑traffic control protocols, and that a thorough search was conducted before clearance for departure.
Lyubomir Nikolov
The worrying thing is that some airlines have now also started to be targeted, which means that aircraft have to be diverted and the relevant measures taken,
Security forces at Sofia Airport heightened alert levels and are conducting inspections on all arriving and departing flights as a precaution. No injuries, accidents or further incidents have been reported, and authorities have stated they remain fully prepared to address any similar threats in the future.
