Luton-Sofia Flight Diverts to Budapest: Fighter Jet Escorts Wizz Air After Bomb Threat

Wizz Air Flight 4302 touched down at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport at 12:09 local time on Sunday, ending a diversion from its scheduled route to Sofia. The aircraft had departed London Luton Airport at 08:33 GMT and was originally due to arrive in the Bulgarian capital at 13:25 local time. A mid-air bomb threat prompted the pilot to request permission to land in Hungary, according to flight data from FlightAware.

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendis confirmed that a Gripen fighter jet from the Hungarian Defence Forces launched within minutes of receiving the alert. The jet escorted the passenger plane to the airport before returning to its base. Ruszin-Szendis stated that police assumed control of the incident immediately after the fighter jet completed its mission.

Upon arrival, the aircraft taxied to a designated stand where authorities conducted security checks on the plane and its passengers. A Wizz Air spokesperson said the team "carried out the necessary security checks on the aircraft and passengers." The airline later announced that the inspection was complete and no threats were found.

The carrier said it was "cooperating fully with the authorities" and that the safety of the crew and passengers remained its highest priority. The airline indicated the plane would depart for Sofia shortly after the clearance.

The flight had been en route to Sofia when the threat emerged. The diversion added roughly an hour to the total travel time compared to the original schedule. No other details regarding the nature of the threat or the passenger count were released by the airline or Hungarian officials.