NATO ALPHA Alert After Bomb Scare Forces Wizz Air London-Sofia Flight To Divert To Budapest

Budapest: A normal Wizz Air flight from Britain to Bulgaria turned into a full-scale military operation on Monday, after a bomb threat turned an ordinary morning service into an airborne emergency. According to reports, the incident occurred on Flight W6, operated by an Airbus A321neo, which had departed London Luton Airport bound for Sofia Airport. 

As per reports, the flight crew received a bomb threat while the aircraft was cruising over Bosnia and Herzegovina, forcing the crew to an immediate rethink of the flight plan. 

The aircraft made a sharp turn, declared an emergency and was given an intimidating new travel companion, which was a Hungarian Gripen fighter jet. The flight was then guided to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, where it landed safely at 12.08 pm local time.

NATO Issues ALPHA Alert And Hungarian Gripen Takes To Skies

The moment the threat was reported, NATO’s air-defence readiness service quickly issued an ALPHA alert, the code that essentially means get a jet up, now. 

Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed in a Facebook statement that the Hungarian Defence Forces scrambled a Gripen from Kecskemet airbase within minutes of the alert. The fighter jet then escorted the commercial Airbus through Hungarian airspace, hovering nearby until the passenger aircraft was safely on the ground. The minister praised the readiness of the air-defence personnel, noting that their ability to respond at short notice once again showcased Hungary’s commitment to protecting the skies. Once the escort was complete, the Gripen peeled away and returned to Kecskemet, handing over the action to the police.

Reports suggested that the A321neo landed on Runway 2 at Budapest and taxied to remote parking stand B5, where it was received by firefighters, police officers and counter-terrorism specialists, all lined up and ready for the worst.

Wizz Air confirmed the diversion and stated that the aircraft had landed safely following the bomb threat received in flight, stressing that it was cooperating fully with the relevant agencies. A spokesperson for the low-cost carrier added, “Wizz Air is fully cooperating with the authorities and the safety of passengers and crew remains its top priority.”

In the meantime, Budapest Airport was forced to shut Runway 2 entirely while security teams carried out mandatory inspections of the aircraft, the baggage and everyone on board. The closure did not bring the airport to a standstill, as all other arrivals and departures were shifted to the remaining operational runway. However, it certainly made for a tense afternoon for air traffic controllers (ATCs). At the time of the initial reports, the detailed security sweep was still underway and the officials had not disclosed any findings regarding the credibility or origin of the threat, leaving passengers to wait, speculate and presumably rethink their loyalty to budget airlines.