Wizz Air Flight Diverts to Budapest After Mid‑Air Bomb Threat, Escorted by Hungarian Fighter Jet
A Wizz Air service from London Luton to Sofia was forced to land in Budapest following a bomb threat, with a Hungarian Gripen jet providing an escort.
Wizz Air flight 4302 departed London Luton at 08:33 GMT bound for Sofia, but a bomb threat received mid‑flight prompted an emergency diversion.
The aircraft was escorted by a Hungarian Defence Forces Gripen fighter jet and landed at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International at 12:09 local time (11:09 GMT), according to FlightAware.
Upon arrival, the plane taxied to a designated stand where authorities carried out “the necessary security checks on the aircraft and passengers,” a Wizz Air spokesperson said.
The airline later confirmed that the inspection was completed and “nothing was found,” adding that the plane would depart again shortly.
Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin‑Szendis posted on social media that, after the bomb threat, the flight requested permission to land in Budapest. He said a Gripen jet took to the skies “within minutes” to escort the passenger aircraft, then returned to its base while police took charge of the incident.
Wizz Air emphasized that it is “cooperating fully with the authorities” and that the safety of passengers and crew “remains our highest priority.”
