An American Airlines flight traveling from New York to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome after a bomb threat was reported on board. Fighter jets from the Italian Air Force escorted the aircraft to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport, where it landed safely.
Flight Escorted by Fighter Jets
The aircraft, identified as American Airlines Flight 292, was just two hours from reaching Delhi when it abruptly turned back over Turkmenistan due to a “possible security issue.” Social media images showed the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner being escorted by two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="1080px" width="1920px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
“Scramble: in the afternoon two Eurofighters of Aeronautica Militare took off on alert to identify and escort a commercial aircraft headed to Delhi which had reversed course towards Fiumicino airport (RM) due to a report of a presumed explosive device on board,” the Italian Air Force stated on X.
Passengers and Crew Taken for Security Screening
The flight, carrying 199 passengers and 15 crew members, was grounded for nearly 15 hours. Indian authorities insisted that the aircraft undergo a thorough security check before being allowed to continue to Delhi.
Threat Deemed Unfounded
A senior official briefed on the situation told ABC News that the bomb threat was received via email but was later deemed to be unfounded.
“Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their understanding,” American Airlines said in a statement.
All passengers were taken to the terminal for screening while officials conducted a detailed inspection of the aircraft.
