An American Airlines flight from JFK Airport to Delhi had to make an emergency diversion to Rome on Sunday following a bomb threat onboard.
The aircraft, carrying 199 passengers and 15 crew members, was just two hours away from its destination when it was unexpectedly rerouted over Turkmenistan.
As reported by the New York Post, the airline attributed the diversion to a “possible security issue.”
One of the passengers, Neeraj Chopra, who was traveling to India to see his family, described the uncertainty that gripped the cabin when the captain announced the change in course.
“I felt a little panic of, OK, what’s going on here?” he recalled.
The Italian Air Force later confirmed that the threat was linked to a possible bomb on board.
Escorted by two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon jets, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner completed a nearly 15-hour journey before touching down at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport at approximately 11:15 a.m. ET. Upon landing, passengers were taken to buses for additional security checks, where they remained for over two hours while waiting for their checked baggage.
American Airlines expressed gratitude to passengers for their patience and reassured them that safety remained the airline’s highest priority.
The company also confirmed ongoing cooperation with local authorities.
“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,” the airline stated, as reported by New York Post.
This incident follows another bomb threat just two weeks prior, which caused significant delays on a Texas-bound American Airlines flight due to a suspicious Wi-Fi hotspot.
