A Wizz Air passenger flight en route from London Luton Airport to Sofia has been diverted to Budapest after authorities received a bomb threat while the aircraft was airborne. The plane, identified as flight 4302, departed Luton at 08:33 GMT with an original scheduled arrival in the Bulgarian capital at 13:25 local time. Instead, the aircraft made an emergency landing at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport at 12:09 local time.
Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendis confirmed that upon receiving the threat, the flight requested permission to land in Budapest. Within minutes, a Hungarian Defence Forces Gripen fighter jet was scrambled to provide an escort for the passenger aircraft until it reached the airport. Following the landing, the fighter jet returned to its base while police took charge of the situation.
A spokesperson for Wizz Air stated that authorities conducted necessary security checks on both the aircraft and all passengers once the plane taxied to a designated stand. The airline later confirmed that the inspection was completed and nothing was found. Wizz Air emphasized that it is cooperating fully with the authorities and reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew remains its highest priority. The airline indicated that the plane would depart again shortly after the incident.
Sources: BBC News World.