American Airlines Flight Diverted, Escorted by Fighter Jets Over ‘Possible Security Issue’

A New Delhi-bound American Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome Sunday.

Flight 292, which left John F. Kennedy International Airport Sunday, experienced a “possible security issue,” the airline said in a statement, according to ABC

Italian Air Force fighter jets gave the plane an escort until it landed.

The plane was carrying 199 passengers in addition to its 15 crew members, the airline said.

According to NBC, which cited sources it did not name, the security issue was a bomb threat.

NBC said it was told by a source that the threat was made by email.

The airline said the threat “was determined to be non-credible.”

#Scramble: nel pomeriggio due #Eurofighter dell’#AeronauticaMilitare sono decollati su allarme per identificare e scortare un aereo di linea diretto a Delhi che aveva invertito rotta verso l’aeroporto di Fiumicino (RM) per una segnalazione di un presunto ordigno esplosivo a bordo pic.twitter.com/qocq43lC6H

— Aeronautica Militare (@ItalianAirForce) February 23, 2025

Indira Gandhi International Airport rules required an inspection before the plane could land there.

“Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the airline said in a statement.

Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport representative Roberto Rao said the incident took place about 2 p.m. local time when the plane contacted the airport

“We immediately agreed and organized a safe landing,” Rao said.

American Airlines AA292, traveling from New York to New Delhi diverting to Rome is under escort by Eurofighter jets ⚡️pic.twitter.com/fBhrjYzfz4

— Viper 🇮🇳 (@viper202020) February 23, 2025

“We don’t know what the security concern was, but my opinion is that it was serious enough to divert the plane, but not urgent, because we received the alert when the plane was over the Caspian Sea, a three hours’ flight from Rome,” he said.

American Airlines said local police met the plane and inspected it.

The plane was scheduled to continue its journey on Monday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported the issue, according to Sky News.

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