American Airlines flight diverted to Rome over 'possible security issue,' ABC News reports
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - An American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab flight out of New York to New Delhi was diverted to Rome on Sunday over a "possible security issue," ABC News reported, citing a statement by the airline.
American Airlines Flight 292, which departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport, was heading to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Dehli. It has landed safely at the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport, the airport told ABC News.
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Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Unbelievable reason American Airlines flight to Naples was forced to divert 140 miles away from its destination
Hundreds of passengers onboard an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Naples had to divert to Rome, not because of weather, mechanical issues, or a medical emergency - but because the plane was too big to land. The pilot explained the situation over the intercom somewhere over the Tyrrhenian Sea, as the cabin full of hundreds of sleepy-eyed passengers prepared for a smooth descent into sun-soaked Naples. 'Folks,' he said, 'this is your captain speaking. I'm sorry to say, we unfortunately need to divert, as we realized the plane we've been flying across the Atlantic all night isn't actually authorized to land at our destination airport…' The aircraft, American Airlines Flight 780 on June 2, had just completed an eight-hour journey from Philadelphia, traversing the Atlantic and multiple time zones, only to be turned away as the pilots prepared their approach. Before the plane had left the US, American Airlines had swapped out their usual Boeing 787-8 aircraft for a slightly larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Such kinds of aircraft substitutions aren't uncommon because of maintenance schedules or operational reasons and on paper, the change seemed harmless enough - the 787-9 is only about 20 feet longer than the 787-8 and boasts similar capabilities. But on this particular route, from Philadelphia to Naples, those extra 20 feet meant the plane was not authorized to land. Just as the plane approached southern Italy and began its descent, air traffic control informed the flight crew that Naples Capodichino Airport could not accommodate the 787-9 due to specific operational restrictions. Despite the clear skies and calm conditions, Naples Airport is only allowed to receive the 787-8 specific model of Dreamliner. Instead, the aircraft banked northwards and headed for Rome's Fiumicino Airport, nearly 140 miles away. Aviation insider @xJonNYC, who first broke the story on social media, called it a 'rough reason for a diversion'. American Airlines later confirmed the incident, citing only 'operational limitations' and offering a perfunctory apology to the 231 passengers and 11 crew onboard. 'We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey,' the airline said in a statement. The passengers made their surprise touchdown in the Italian capital but with no spare aircraft on hand to complete the final leg to Naples customers were placed on buses for the final three-hour journey south.
Time Out
14 hours ago
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JFK customs will look a little different on your next trip—here's what to know
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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
American Airlines passengers bused in Italy after diverted flight
"Customers traveled from FCO to NAP by bus, and we apologize to them for this disruption to their journey," the American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement. FCO is about 145 miles away from Naples International Airport by road, meaning it would typically take more than two hours to drive between the airports. What may have caused the American Airlines flight to divert? Historical flight data via FlightAware shows American Airlines usually sends a Boeing 787-8 on flights to Naples. It is unclear why the airline sent the larger 787-9, which Simpleflying, an online aviation publication, says fits 290 passengers compared to the 787-8's 242 passenger capacity. Another key difference between the two Dreamliner variants, which have the same wingspan, is that the 787-9 is 20 feet longer, according to Business Insider. The 787-9 may have been diverted because it has different requirements for rescue-and-firefighting services (RFFS) than the 787-8, documents from Boeing and the International Civil Aviation Organization show. RFFS are needed to ensure aviation safety and minimize risks related to aircraft fires and incidents, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While the 787-8 is small enough to land at an airport with Category 8 RFFS requirements, the 787-9 needs a Category 9 RFFS airport, the Boeing document shows. Data reviewed by Business Insider from AviationWeek's Acukwik says the Naples Airport meets Category 8 RFF, meaning a 787-9 would be too big to land there. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
