US flight escorted into Rome by fighter jets after bomb threat
Share and Follow

An American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi, India, landed safely in Rome on Sunday afternoon after it was diverted due to a security concern, which later proved to be “non-credible,” the airline said.

American Airlines said Flight 292 “was inspected by law enforcement” after landing at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport and “cleared to re-depart.”

It didn’t clarify the cause of the security concern, but added an inspection was required by protocol before the flight could land in New Delhi.

An American Airlines passenger jet was escorted into Rome by fighter jets after a bomb threat. (Today)

“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 Associated Press reporter filmed two fighter jets flying over the airport shortly before the unscheduled landing. Fire trucks were visible on the landing strip on one side of the plane after it landed.

Neeraj Chopra, one of the passengers on flight, said the captain alerted the plane that they needed to turn around about three hours before they were supposed to land in Delhi because of a change in “security status.”

People awaiting the flight at New Delhi see it has been diverted. (AP)

Chopra, who was travelling from Detroit, Michigan to visit family, described the mood on the plane as calm after the initial announcement but said he begin to stress when the captain later announced that fighter jets would be escorting their plane to Rome.

“I felt a little panic of, okay, what’s going on here?” Chopra told the AP.

“There’s got to be like something bigger going on here.”

Safest countries in the world for 2025

Tiny country with population of 390k ranked ‘safest’ in the world

Chopra said he has a new flight leaving Monday.

“It’s been like a pretty chaotic crazy last 24 hours,” he said.

The airport continued to operate normally, a spokesman with Rome’s airport said.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro is surrounded by the press as he leaves the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration where he arrived after the Supreme Court ordered him to be fitted with an electronic ankle monitor in Brazil.

“Ultimate Embarrassment: Brazil’s Ex-President Mandated to Wear Electronic Ankle Bracelet”

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle…
A 65-year-old Melbourne man with alleged links to a Vietnamese drug trafficking syndicate has been charged after the failed importation of 92kg of drugs and 477,000 cigarettes.

Man Detained for Attempting to Smuggle Nearly 500,000 Cigarettes Hidden as Clothing

A 65-year-old Melbourne man faces life in prison after allegedly trying to…
A married couple will spend up to nine years in prison over a drugs plot which saw them try and import 56kg of cocaine from Switzerland hidden in car tyres.​The man, aged 60, and his wife, 52, from Nollamara Perth were convicted last November.

Perth Couple, Aged 60 and 52, Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking Scheme Involving Car Tires

A married couple will spend up to nine years in prison each…

Australia’s Jobless Rate Likely to Increase, According to Jim Chalmers

Treasurer Jim Chalmers expects unemployment to rise further, arguing the uptick is…
A police employee has been charged after a brawl inside a Woolworths supermarket in Western Sydney.

Police Officer Arrested Following Altercation Over Milk at Woolworths

A police employee has been charged after a brawl inside a Woolworths…

Extradition Advances for Bondi Nanny Accused of Torture

Key Points Adriana Rivas is accused of crimes during the dictatorship of…
Labubus helped PopMart amass $654 million last year.

Why Are These Men Spending the Night Outside for Stuffed Animals?

On a frosty Friday afternoon in the middle of Melbourne’s harsh winter,…
Police searching for three children missing from the Gold Coast believe they may be with a woman in northern New South Wales. 

Police suspect missing trio from Queensland might be with a woman in NSW

Police are searching for three children who have gone missing from the…