Italian fighter jets escort American Airlines flight to Rome after bomb threat
Video shows an American Airlines plane being escorted into Rome by Italian Air Force jets after a “security concern.” (Credit: X/@ItalianAirForce)
Dramatic video shows the moment a diverted American Airlines flight was escorted by Italian fighter jets due to a “security concern.”
A spokesperson for the airline told Fox News Digital that AA flight 292 “landed safely in Rome on Sunday afternoon after it was diverted due to a security concern, which later proved to be non-credible.”
The video shows the plane being escorted by Italian Air Force jets prior to landing at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome.
Flight 292 had departed New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on its way to New Delhi, India when it was diverted.
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An American Airlines flight from JFK Airport to New Delhi, India had to divert to Rome — and landed under fighter escort — after a reported bomb threat on board. (X/@ItalianAirForce)
The airline did not specify what the cause of the security concern was, but said, per Delhi (DEL) Airport protocol, an inspection was required before landing at DEL.
The plane was inspected by law enforcement in Rome and cleared.
Nearly 200 people and 15 crew members were onboard the flight.
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Neeraj Chopra, one of the passengers on the flight, told the AP that the captain alerted passengers that the plane needed to turn around about three hours before they were supposed to land in New Dehli because of a change in “security status.”
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“The flight will stay in Rome overnight to allow for required crew rest before continuing to Delhi as soon as possible tomorrow,” the airline said.
An American Airlines plane is escorted by an Italian warplane after a “security concern” onboard. (X/@ItalianAirForce)
“Safety and security are our top priorities, and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The midair scare comes after a series of aviation disasters in the U.S.
An American Airlines plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people last month. Less than 48 hours later, a medical ambulance flight crashed in Philadelphia, leaving seven people dead.
Then earlier this month, a Delta Air Lines flight flipped upside down and erupted into flames while landing at Canada’s Toronto Pearson Airport. Thankfully, everyone survived that terrifying ordeal.
