Wizz Air flight from Luton diverts to Budapest after mid-air bomb threat

A Wizz Air flight travelling from London Luton Airport to Sofia has been escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet to Budapest after a mid-air bomb threat forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, Wizz Air flight 4302 departed Luton at 08:33 GMT and was due to arrive in the Bulgarian capital at 13:25 local time (11:25 GMT). Instead, the aircraft landed in Budapest at 12:09 local time (11:09 GMT). Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendis confirmed that his country provided the fighter jet to escort the flight. In a post on social media, he said that after the bomb threat was received, the Wizz Air flight had requested permission to land at the airport in Budapest. "Within minutes, a Hungarian Defence Forces Gripen fighter jet took to the skies and provided an escort for the passenger aircraft", he said. He added that after this, the jet returned to its base and police took charge of the incident. A spokesperson for Wizz Air said authorities in Budapest "carried out the necessary security checks on the aircraft and passengers". The airline said the plane taxied "to a designated stand" after the emergency landing, where the security checks were carried out. The airline later confirmed that an inspection had been "completed and nothing was found", adding that the plane would depart again shortly. Wizz Air said it was "cooperating fully with the authorities", and that the safety of passengers and crew "remains our highest priority".