Italian fighter jets scrambled Sunday to intercept an American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi, India, over a “bomb scare” that turned out to be a hoax.
AA Flight 292, carrying 199 passengers plus 15 crew members, was diverted by two fighter jets and escorted to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO). Those on board endured a 15-hour ordeal due to the “alleged bomb scare,” airport authorities said.
“The flight landed safely at FCO (Rome), and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart,” American Airlines said in a statement. The airline did not comment on the nature of the threat or circumstances surrounding it.
The U.S.-based airline attributed the incident to a “possible security concern” on the flight, which was intercepted in the skies over Turkmenistan. An American Airlines official said the plane was diverted to Rome due to Indian protocol requirements.
The ill-fated flight departed John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday night, as scheduled. About three hours from its scheduled landing in New Dehli, the aircraft turned around over the Caspian Sea before touching down safely at FCO.
Passengers and people on the ground posted videos to social media showing the Italian fighter jets escorting the airplane to FCO.
No arrests or injuries were reported. The passengers and crew were scheduled to remain in Rome overnight before continuing onto New Delhi on Monday, the airline said.
The incident is the latest involving American Airlines and the industry overall. Last month’s midair collision between an AA flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed everyone onboard both aircraft, and there have been other mishaps and close calls in recent weeks.
