A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet has escorted a Wizz Air passenger aircraft to Budapest after a bomb threat forced it to divert from its scheduled London-to-Sofia route.
The Airbus A321neo departed London Luton Airport at 8:33 a.m. on Monday and was expected to arrive at Sofia International Airport, Bulgaria, at about 1:25 p.m. local time.
However, the reported bomb threat prompted the aircraft to change course and head for Hungary, where it landed safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport at 12:08 p.m., according to a report by Sky News.
Hungary’s Defence Minister, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, said a Gripen fighter jet was deployed within minutes to escort the aircraft and ensure its safe landing.
Wizz Air confirmed the incident in a statement, explaining that the threat was received while the aircraft was airborne.
The airline said the flight was diverted to Budapest in line with established aviation security protocols and landed without incident.
According to the statement, the aircraft was directed to a designated parking stand after landing, where relevant authorities began security checks involving the plane and its passengers.
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“Wizz Air is cooperating fully with the authorities. The safety of passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline said.
Hungarian police also carried out additional security measures following the aircraft’s arrival, while officials inspected the plane.
However, as of Monday afternoon, authorities had yet to disclose who issued the threat or whether any suspicious objects had been discovered during the inspection.
It was also unclear whether the threat was communicated from within the aircraft or from the ground. Details about whether passengers and crew had disembarked were not immediately available.
Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft had been scheduled to travel to Sofia before its route was redirected towards Hungary over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The incident prompted heightened security measures as Hungarian authorities continued their investigation into the reported threat.