A Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, 2 November, after receiving a bomb threat while en route. Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighter jets were scrambled to escort the Airbus A321neo to a safe landing at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport.
The aircraft was flying from London Luton Airport to Sofia, Bulgaria, when the threat was received. While flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the crew changed course and requested permission to land in Budapest.
According to Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, NATO’s air defence readiness service issued an ALPHA alert, prompting the Hungarian military to scramble Gripen fighters within minutes. The military aircraft escorted the passenger aircraft to Budapest, where it landed safely at approximately 12:08 local time.
Firefighters, police officers and counter-terrorism personnel were waiting for the aircraft on arrival. Following landing, the Airbus was directed to a designated parking position, where authorities began security inspections of the aircraft and its passengers.
Wizz Air confirmed the diversion, stating that the flight from London Luton to Sofia had been redirected to Budapest following a bomb threat received during the journey.
“The aircraft was diverted and landed safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, in accordance with the relevant safety protocols and procedures. It subsequently moved to a designated position, where the competent authorities carried out the necessary security checks on the aircraft and passengers,” the airline said.
The Hungarian Gripen fighters returned to their base at Kecskemét after the escort operation. Budapest Airport’s second runway was temporarily closed following the incident, with arriving and departing flights using the other runway while security measures were carried out.
Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the nature of the bomb threat or whether any suspicious items were discovered during the inspections.