American Airlines issued a statement indicating that Flight 292, which was en route to New Delhi, was redirected to Rome due to a potential security concern. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departing from New York, landed in Rome on Sunday under the protection of Eurofighter jets. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the diversion was prompted by a reported security issue. Flight AA 292 took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at 8:14 PM on February 22 and arrived at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome at approximately 5:30 PM local time. Although a security concern was noted, the FAA did not provide specific details regarding the nature of the issue, stating that the diversion was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all individuals on board.
According to reports from Reuters, the flight was redirected following an alleged bomb threat. Images of the American Airlines flight, carrying 199 passengers and 15 crew members, being accompanied by Italian Air Force fighter jets emerged on social media platforms. Additionally, the Italian Air Force reportedly announced on X that two Eurofighter jets from the "Aeronautica Militare" were dispatched on alert to identify and escort a commercial aircraft en route to Delhi, which had altered its course back to Fiumicino Airport (RM) due to a notification regarding a suspected explosive device on board.
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