Wizz Air flight intercepted by fighter jets after passenger renames WiFi 'terrorist'

Fighter jets were scrambled after a UK flight raised security concerns when a passenger altered the name of a WiFi hotspot during the journey.

The response was triggered by reports of “threatening messages” appearing on screens aboard Wizz Air flight W95301 from Luton, which was bound for Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, reported the Mirror.

The alleged “ security incident ” began when cabin crew alerted Israeli security authorities to a possible threat onboard. According to the Sun, officials later concluded that a child had secretly changed his parents’ mobile hotspot name to “terrorist.”

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Passengers reported the issue, prompting fighter jets to monitor the aircraft as it continued toward Israel. The plane later landed safely without further incident.

Data from FlightRadar showed the aircraft circling three times over the Mediterranean Sea, south of Cyprus, while security services evaluated the situation mid-air. The jet was eventually escorted into Ben Gurion Airport, where bomb-sniffing dogs were deployed.

It was reported that every passenger and all luggage were thoroughly searched following the landing.

An Israel Airports Authority spokesperson later confirmed that the alert was unfounded, telling the Times of Israel: “The aircraft landed, and it was found that there was no real incident.”

As a precaution, flights arriving at and departing from Tel Aviv were briefly suspended before normal operations resumed.

In a further statement, the Airports Authority said: “Due to suspicion of suspicious behaviour on the plane, security forces acted according to the procedures for such a case. The incident ended. The plane landed and it was found that there was no actual incident.”