There were some tense moments for passengers (and their loved ones) onboard American Airlines (AA) flight AA292, traveling from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) on Saturday.
According to NBC News, “The American Airlines plane was escorted by two Italian Air Force fighter jets when it entered Italian airspace and landed in Rome around 5:30 p.m. local time, per the Federal Aviation Administration.”
🚨 INSIDE THE ESCORT MISSION: This stunning footage from an Italian Air Force Eurofighter shows American Airlines #AA292 intercepted mid-air and escorted to Rome-Fiumicino after a bomb threat forced an emergency diversion.
🎥 Must-see footage ⬇️ #AA292 #Breaking NewYork-Delhi pic.twitter.com/rTTdQiLIAY
— Antony Ochieng,KE✈️ (@Turbinetraveler) February 23, 2025
The Italian Air Force also posted a video (embedded above) of their Eurofighters escorting the American Airlines 787 aircraft to Rome. FlightAware shows the flight turning around over the Caspian Sea (see the embedded screenshot below). What’s even more surprising is that instead of landing at a nearby airport like Doha or Istanbul, the airline chose to fly the plane an additional three hours to Rome.
There was also video recorded from the ground for a different angle. See below.
Breaking: American Airlines Flight AA292, traveling from New York (JFK) to New Delhi (DEL), has made an emergency diversion to Rome following a reported threat. The aircraft is currently being escorted by Eurofighter jets as it approaches the airport. pic.twitter.com/q4DzpURjGc
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 23, 2025
According to a passenger posting in a private American Airlines group, the threat was deemed not credible, but India refused to allow the plane to land, so it was diverted to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), where AA has a large support presence.
The same passenger mentioned that American eventually canceled the flight (likely because the crew had timed out), and they rebooked him on an Alitalia flight for the following day.
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