An American Airlines flight en route from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to New Delhi was diverted to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on Sunday, February 23, 2025, following a bomb threat that was later deemed non-credible.
Flight 292, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner carrying 199 passengers and 15 crew members, departed JFK at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The aircraft was over the Caspian Sea, nearing Turkmenistan, when the crew received an alert about a potential security issue, prompting an immediate U-turn back toward Europe.
Upon entering Italian airspace, the flight was escorted by two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets as a precautionary measure. The plane landed safely in Rome at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.
After landing, passengers were transported by bus to the terminal, where they and their belongings underwent additional security screenings.
Law enforcement officials conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft and subsequently cleared it for departure. American Airlines stated that the flight would remain in Rome overnight to allow for required crew rest before continuing to New Delhi on Monday.
Passenger Neeraj Chopra, traveling from Detroit to visit family in India, recounted that the captain announced a diversion due to a change in “security status” approximately three hours before the scheduled arrival in New Delhi.
“I felt a little panic of, OK, what’s going on here?” he said.
Chopra described the initial mood on the plane as calm but admitted feeling anxious upon learning that fighter jets would escort the aircraft to Rome.
Another passenger, Jonathan Bacon from Dayton, Ohio, noted that after the captain’s announcement, he observed the plane’s sharp turn away from New Delhi on the flight tracker.
Bacon mentioned that passengers had limited internet connectivity during the flight, with only sporadic access providing early reports about the situation.
A senior official briefed on the matter revealed that the bomb threat was received via email but was assessed as unfounded. Despite this, Indian authorities requested a precautionary inspection of the aircraft before its arrival in New Delhi.
American Airlines emphasized that safety and security are their top priorities and expressed gratitude to customers for their understanding. The airline is coordinating closely with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops.
“Safety and security are our top priorities and we thank our customers for their understanding. We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops,” American Airlines said as reported by New York Post.
This incident follows a recent security scare involving an American Airlines flight in Texas, where a plane was evacuated and delayed for several hours due to a passenger’s Wi-Fi hotspot named “There is a bomb on the flight.”
