Bomb Threat Forces London-Sofia Flight Diversion to Hungary

A Wizz Air passenger aircraft travelling from London to Sofia, Bulgaria, was diverted to Budapest, Hungary, on Monday following a bomb threat received during the flight. The aircraft, which was operating the London Luton-Sofia route, landed safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport after being escorted by a Hungarian Gripen fighter jet. Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed the incident in a social media post, saying the fighter jet was deployed within minutes to escort the passenger aircraft to safety. He said the military aircraft accompanied the Wizz Air plane to the Hungarian capital before returning to its base in Kecskemét. In a statement, Wizz Air confirmed that the diversion followed a bomb threat received while the aircraft was airborne. The airline said the plane landed in Budapest in accordance with established security protocols and was moved to a designated parking position, where authorities commenced security inspections. “Wizz Air is cooperating fully with the authorities. The safety of passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline said. Authorities Begin Security Checks Following the aircraft's arrival, Hungarian authorities introduced additional security measures at the airport. Police began inspecting the aircraft and passengers as part of the response to the threat. Emergency personnel were also positioned at the airport ahead of the landing. According to flight-tracking information from Flightradar24, the aircraft departed London Luton Airport at approximately 8:33 am local time on Monday. It was originally scheduled to arrive in Sofia at about 1:25 pm local time. However, flight-tracking data showed the Airbus A321 changing direction towards Hungary while flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Budapest. Hungarian Fighter Jet Scrambled The Hungarian Defence Minister said the Gripen fighter jet was deployed shortly after the bomb threat was reported. The interception formed part of the country's air-defence response to the incident, ensuring that the passenger aircraft was escorted during its diversion and landing. After the Wizz Air plane landed, the military aircraft returned to its base, while the relevant authorities continued the security operation. The incident also prompted additional security measures at Budapest airport as inspections were carried out. Airline Assures Passengers of Safety Wizz Air said it was working with the authorities following the incident and emphasised that passenger and crew safety remained its priority. The airline did not immediately disclose further details about the origin of the bomb threat or whether any suspicious object had been discovered during the initial inspections. As of the latest reports, security checks were ongoing, and authorities had not announced the outcome of the investigation. The diversion comes amid heightened aviation security attention following another bomb-threat incident involving an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna, which was diverted to Sofia in October. In that earlier incident, Bulgarian authorities inspected the aircraft after it landed, but subsequent checks found no threat to the plane, passengers or crew.