Wizz Air Flight Diverted to Budapest After Mid-Air Bomb Threat, Escorted by Hungarian Jet

According to the BBC UK, a Wizz Air flight traveling from London Luton Airport to Sofia was escorted to Budapest by a Hungarian fighter jet after a bomb threat occurred while in the air. The aircraft was compelled to make an emergency landing at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport. A spokesperson for Wizz Air stated that authorities at the location performed the required security inspections on both the passengers and the aircraft. The airline subsequently confirmed that an inspection was finished and no issues were discovered, adding that the plane was scheduled to depart again shortly.

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendis verified that his nation supplied the fighter jet to escort the flight. Flight tracking data from FlightAware indicated that Wizz Air flight 4302 left Luton at 08:33 GMT and was scheduled to arrive in the Bulgarian capital at 13:25 local time, which is 11:25 GMT. However, the same tracking data showed the flight landed in Budapest at 12:09 local time (11:09 GMT).

Ruszin-Szendis mentioned on social media that subsequent to receiving the bomb threat, the Wizz Air flight had requested authorization to land at the Budapest airport. He further stated that a Hungarian Defence Forces Gripen fighter jet took to the skies within minutes to provide an escort for the passenger aircraft, and after this, the jet returned to its base while police managed the incident.

Wizz Air reported that following the emergency landing, the plane moved to a specific stand where the security checks were conducted. The airline also communicated that it was fully cooperating with the authorities and emphasized that the safety of the crew and passengers remains its top priority.