American Airlines flight to India diverted to Rome after bomb threat

An American Airlines flight from New York to India was diverted to Italy following a bomb threat, according to Italian and airline officials.

American Airlines Flight 292, which departed from New York to New Delhi, was diverted to Rome due to a potential security concern, the airline said in a statement on Sunday.

The Italian Air Force stated that the aircraft was diverted to Rome following reports of a “presumed explosive device on board” the commercial plane. The bomb threat, which was received by email, was ultimately deemed unfounded, a senior official told ABC News.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, had 214 passengers and crew members onboard and landed in Rome at approximately 5:20 p.m. local time, according to ABC News and Reuters.

The plane was flying over the Caspian Sea, between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, when it began diverting, based on data from FlightAware.

Footage shared by the Italian Air Force showed two Eurofighter jets escorting the plane closely as it approached Rome’s airport. Upon landing safely at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, the aircraft was inspected by Italian law enforcement and subsequently cleared.