A Wizz Air flight departing from London Luton Airport on Monday was forced to make an emergency landing in Budapest after a bomb threat was issued while the plane was in the air.
A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet was scrambled to escort the Airbus A321, which had departed for Sofia, Bulgaria, shortly after 8:30 a.m. local time. The aircraft turned back over Bosnia and Herzegovina following the alert.
Hungary's defense minister, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, confirmed the fighter jet was deployed "within minutes" to ensure the safe landing of the passenger plane at Budapest's Liszt Ferenc Airport. He stated that the incident demonstrated the readiness of Hungarian soldiers to guarantee airspace security.
A spokesperson for Wizz Air confirmed the diversion, stating that the flight "landed safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport in accordance with the relevant security protocols and procedures." The airline is cooperating fully with authorities, who conducted security checks on the aircraft and passengers. The safety of passengers and crew remains the airline's highest priority.
According to flight tracking data, the plane was scheduled to arrive in Sofia around 1:25 p.m. local time. Authorities are reportedly conducting further measures following the landing.