Wizz Air Flight from London to Sofia Diverted to Budapest Over Bomb Threat
An Airbus A321 traveling from London Luton to Sofia was forced to change course after receiving a bomb threat while airborne on Monday.
A Wizz Air passenger flight traveling from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest on Monday following a bomb threat received during the journey. Hungarian authorities and the airline confirmed the incident, which prompted the deployment of a military fighter jet to escort the aircraft to safety.
The aircraft, operating the London Luton to Sofia route, touched down safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport at approximately 12:08 pm local time. According to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, the flight took off from London at 8:33 am and was redirected toward Hungary while flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated in a social media post that a Hungarian Gripen fighter jet was dispatched within minutes to accompany the passenger plane and ensure its secure landing in the capital. Following the touchdown, Hungarian police implemented additional security measures at the airport.
Wizz Air issued a statement explaining that the diversion occurred in strict accordance with relevant security protocols and procedures. The aircraft taxied to a designated stand where authorities initiated necessary security checks on both the passengers and the plane itself.
"Wizz Air confirms that today's London Luton-Sofia flight was diverted to Budapest following a bomb threat received during the flight," an airline spokesperson said. The carrier emphasized that it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and that the safety of passengers and crew remains its highest priority.
By Monday afternoon, Wizz Air confirmed that nothing suspicious was found during the comprehensive search of the aircraft. The plane was cleared to depart again shortly after the inspections concluded.
As of Monday afternoon, authorities had not disclosed further details regarding the origin of the threat. It remained unclear whether the warning came from inside the aircraft or from a source on the ground, and whether passengers and crew had disembarked during the security checks.