Fighter jet escorts Wizz Air flight from UK forced to divert after 'bomb threat'

A fighter jet was scrambled to escort a passenger Wizz Air plane from London after reports of a 'bomb threat' were made mid-flight.

The pilot was forced to abort the journey, from London to Sofia and emergency land in Budapest on Monday (2 November).

According to live flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the A321 airbus was scheduled to land at Sofia Airport at around 1.25pm local time but was diverted to Hungary.

The flight path shows the diversion (FlightRadar24)

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi addressed the situation in a post on social media, in which he announced: "The Hungarian Air Force's air defense readiness service has once again proven itself in a critical situation.

"The plane received a bomb threat, which forced it to break off its original route and requested a landing opportunity at Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest.

"The Hungarian Air Force's Gripen aircraft took to the air within minutes and ensured the landing of the passenger aircraft in Budapest.

“Our soldiers have once again proven that they can be deployed immediately if necessary and are able to guarantee the security of Hungary’s airspace.”

The airline also confirmed that the plane was forced to land following the 'bomb threat' and that it arrived in Hungary safely, when an inspection was carried out.

The Wizz Air flight was intercepted (Marek Antoni Iwanczuk/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Following the incident, a Wizz Air spokesperson said: "Wizz Air confirms that today's London Luton–Sofia flight was diverted to Budapest following a bomb threat received during the flight.

"The aircraft diverted and landed safely at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport in accordance with the relevant security protocols and procedures, before taxiing to a designated stand, where the relevant authorities carried out the necessary security checks on the aircraft and passengers.

"Wizz Air is cooperating fully with the authorities. The safety of passengers and crew remains our highest priority."

It was later confirmed that an inspection had been 'completed and nothing was found', with the plane then set depart again.