An American Airlines flight en route from New York City to New Delhi, India, was turned around over the Caspian Sea on Sunday and landed in Rome after a security concern, which later proved to be “non-credible,” the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration did not elaborate on what was the security issue but said it was reported by the crew aboard American Airlines Flight 292.
A spokesman for the Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO) Airport told CBS News that the 199 passengers and 15 crew members aboard the aircraft were made aware of the problem while it was over the Caspian Sea. They said it landed at FCO airport because it can cope with this type of incident, however, they did not elaborate on the reason for the change in flight plans.
An American Airlines spokesperson told CBS News the flight was diverted due to a security concern, but did not elaborate.
“The flight landed safely at FCO, and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart,” the spokesperson said, adding that the issue was determined to be “non-credible.”
The FCO spokesperson said two Italian military fighter jets flanked the plane as it arrived at Rome’s airport.
Fire trucks were visible on the landing strip on one side of the plane after it landed. No injuries were reported. The airport continued to operate normally, the spokesman told the AP.
A spokesperson for American Airlines told CBS News that “safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The flight, which departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport, was heading to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in the capital of India. The flight will stay in FCO overnight to allow for required crew rest before continuing to India as soon as possible on Monday.
Lucia Suarez Sang is an associate managing editor at CBSNews.com. Previously, Lucia was the director of digital content at FOX61 News in Connecticut and has previously written for outlets including FoxNews.com, Fox News Latino and the Rutland Herald.
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