Fighter jet escorts Wizz Air flight to Budapest after bomb threat
A Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest on Monday after a bomb threat, with a Hungarian Gripen fighter jet scrambled to escort it to a safe landing.
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A Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest on Monday after a bomb threat was reported during the flight, Hungarian officials said, and no explosives were found after a search of the aircraft.
The Airbus A321neo left Luton airport in the morning and was flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina when the threat was reported, prompting the crew to change course towards Budapest's Ferenc Liszt International Airport, Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said on Facebook.
NATO's duty service issued an Alpha scramble order, and a Hungarian Gripen fighter jet took off within minutes from its base in Kecskemet to escort the passenger plane, Ruszin-Szendi said. The aircraft landed safely at 12:08 local time on one of the airport's two runways and was directed to an isolated stand, designated B5, with firefighters, police and counter-terrorism officers on standby, according to Hungarian outlet Daily News Hungary.
The runway used for the response was closed for a time, with arriving and departing flights redirected to the airport's other runway, Daily News Hungary reported. The Gripen returned to its base once the plane had landed, and police took over further measures, the minister said.
Wizz Air said authorities inspected the aircraft and its passengers and that the airline was cooperating fully with the investigation. Following a search of the cabin, luggage and airframe, authorities found no explosive devices or other security risks.
Hungarian authorities have not said who made the threat or whether it has been assessed as credible, and the incident remains under investigation. News of the scare was picked up by outlets in more than a dozen European countries within hours, reflecting heightened public attention to aviation security incidents that week.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Daily News Hungary, HotNews +1 A Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia diverted to Budapest on Monday after a bomb threat was reported mid-flight.
- Official · Hungarian Defence Minister A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet escorted the plane to a safe landing, Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said.
- 1 outlet · Daily News Hungary The aircraft landed at 12:08 local time and was parked at an isolated stand, B5, Daily News Hungary reported.
- Official · Wizz Air The aircraft was searched by security teams; no explosives or other risks were found, Wizz Air said.
- 1 outlet · Daily News Hungary One runway at Budapest's Ferenc Liszt airport was closed during the response; other flights used the remaining runway.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Who made the threat, and whether it has been assessed as credible, has not been reported.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The scare was one of several bomb threats against flights linked to Europe that week: a day later, two more threats forced a London-Warsaw flight to divert to Modlin airport and prompted checks on a Copenhagen-Warsaw flight, part of a run of unverified threats disrupting European air travel without any device so far being found. The response, involving a NATO Alpha scramble and a fighter escort, shows how seriously European air forces now treat such threats even when they later prove unfounded.
Sources
Reported by 61 reports from 57 independent outlets in 17 countries.
- Daily News Hungary: Wizz Air flight makes emergency landing at Budapest Airport due to bomb threat
- Vesti.bg: Бомбена заплаха отклони полет от Лондон за София към Будапеща
- HotNews: Alertă la bordul unei curse Wizz Air, care a fost deviată spre Budapesta după o amenințare cu bombă
- G4Media: Un avion Gripen a escortat o aeronavă Wizz Air până la aterizarea la Budapesta, după o alertă cu bombă
- 24 Chasa: Бомбена заплаха на самолет от Лондон за София. Изтребител го ескортира до Будапеща
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 56 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 55 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- What route was the flight on?
- It was a Wizz Air service from London Luton to Sofia, diverted to Budapest after a mid-flight bomb threat.
- Was anything dangerous found?
- No. A search of the cabin, luggage and airframe found no explosives or other security risks, Wizz Air said.
- Did military aircraft respond?
- Yes. A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet was scrambled under a NATO Alpha alert to escort the plane to Budapest.
This article was written with AI assistance from 60 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.