Hungarian Fighter Jet Escorts Wizz Air Flight After Bomb Threat

OPA WIRE, Nov 2 (OPA) — A Wizz Air passenger aircraft traveling from London Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted to Budapest on Monday after receiving a bomb threat while in transit. The Airbus A321, which departed shortly after 8:30 a.m., was forced to change course over Bosnia and Herzegovina before landing safely at Ferenc Liszt International Airport.

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed that a Gripen fighter jet was deployed within minutes to intercept and escort the commercial airliner. "Our soldiers have once again proven that they can be deployed immediately if necessary and can guarantee the security of Hungary's airspace," the minister stated following the successful landing.

Wizz Air confirmed the diversion in a statement, noting that the aircraft taxied to a designated stand where security authorities initiated standard inspection protocols. The airline stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement to investigate the threat, emphasizing that the safety of passengers and crew remains the primary objective during the security operation.

Authorities are currently conducting a thorough sweep of the aircraft and interviewing passengers at the airport. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicated the flight was originally scheduled to arrive in the Bulgarian capital at approximately 1:25 p.m. local time before the mid-air alert necessitated the emergency diversion.