Fighter jet escorted Wizz Air from London to Budapest over bomb threat

Emergency diversion of flight to Sofia

On 2 November, a Monday, a Wizz Air passenger aircraft operating a flight from London to Sofia was forced to urgently change its planned course. The reason was information received by the crew regarding a potential bomb threat on board the aircraft.

Military escort over Hungary

When the plane was in the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the crew decided to divert the airliner to Budapest. In response, Hungarian authorities declared a state of military alert. A Gripen fighter jet was scrambled to escort the passenger aircraft to its destination.

Security services' actions after landing

The aircraft landed safely at 12:08. Police, firefighters, and representatives of anti-terrorist units were already on the runway, ready to act.

Immediately after landing, specialists began inspecting the aircraft and checking passengers. To ensure safety, one of the airport runways was temporarily closed, and the military fighter returned to its base.

Investigation into the incident circumstances

At present, information about the presence of an explosive device on board has not been confirmed. Hungarian law enforcement agencies have already launched an investigation to establish the circumstances of the received threat.