Egypt-bound German plane lands in Hungary after bomb scare

A German passenger plane headed from Berlin to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada landed in Budapest today after a bomb scare, Hungarian police said.

The airportal.Hu website reported that on approaching Belgrade, pilots decided to turn back the Airbus A321-211 operated by airline Condor carrying 130 passengers and seven staff and land in Budapest.

The LiveATC.Net air radio traffic website reported that Hungarian fighter planes escorted the plane into the airport. Witnesses said fire and ambulances rushed to the aircraft after it landed.

“The plane is still undergoing checks at the airport,” police spokesperson Viktoria Csiszer-Kovacs told AFP.

Security services are on high alert for planes to and from Egypt after the downing of a Russian airliner returning from Sharm el-Sheikh on October 31 with 224 people on board.