An American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi made an emergency landing in Rome on Sunday, 23rd February, after a bomb threat.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, carrying 199 passengers and crew, was flying over the Caspian Sea when the airline alerted the crew to the potential threat. The plane was diverted to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, landing at approximately 16:20 GMT.
Airport spokesman Francesco Garibaldi confirmed the unscheduled landing but did not specify the reason, stating that security checks would be carried out once all passengers and crew had disembarked. Flight tracking website Flight Emergency reported the diversion on X, stating that flight AA292 was en route to Delhi but diverted to Rome due to a bomb threat.
Reuters sources indicated the threat was received via email, though a senior official told ABC News it was later deemed unfounded. American Airlines confirmed that Flight 292 was inspected by law enforcement after landing and cleared to re-depart. The flight remained in Rome overnight for crew rest before continuing to New Delhi the following day.
The flight originated at John F. Kennedy International Airport and was destined for Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. An Associated Press reporter at the airport captured footage of fighter jets escorting the plane shortly before its landing. Fire trucks were also positioned near the runway as a precaution.
Passenger Neeraj Chopra recounted that the captain informed them of a change in the flight’s “security status” about three hours before their scheduled arrival. While the initial announcement was met with calm, Chopra became concerned when the captain later announced that fighter jets would be escorting them to Rome. “I felt a little panic of, okay, what’s going on here?” he told the Associated Press. “There’s got to be like something bigger going on here.”
Another passenger, Jonathan Bacon, said he began tracking the flight online after the captain announced a diversion due to a security issue. He saw the plane make a sharp turn away from New Delhi and towards Rome. Passengers had limited internet access during the flight, with only intermittent connectivity providing glimpses of early reports about two hours before landing.
Upon arrival, passengers were bussed to the terminal for additional security screenings, described by Bacon as time-consuming and “slightly heightened.”
He and his travel companion waited over two hours for their checked luggage, which was also being inspected. “It was definitely the longest flight to Europe I’ve ever taken,” Bacon said. Despite the disruption, airport operations continued as normal, a spokesperson confirmed.
