Latest news with #Flight780
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- 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.
New York Post
09-06-2025
- New York Post
American Airlines flight to Naples forced to reroute because plane was too big for runaway
A Naples-bound American Airlines flight was forced to reroute some 140 miles away because it was too big for the runway — forcing passengers to take a three-hour bus ride to their final destination. American Airlines Flight 780 was carrying 231 passengers to the Italian city on June 2 when the plane made an abrupt diversion over the Tyrrhenian Sea just 40 miles from its destination, according to FlightAware tracking data. The plane was forced to divert to the Rome Fiumicino Airport 'due to operational limitations,' according to American Airlines, which was operating the flight with the larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. 3 An American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was forced to divert from Naples on June 2. Getty Images The Dreamliner's wingspan is about 20 feet bigger than the traditional Boeing 787-8 plane that the airline typically flies to Naples. Aviation enthusiast @xJonNYC, who first shared the incident on X, said the Dreamliner was just too large to land in Naples given the airport's requirements for rescue and firefighting services. The regular 787-8 plane, however, fits within Naples' requirements. Passengers were dropped off in Rome at around 9:45 a.m. and put on a bus for the more than 140-mile trek to Naples. 3 The plane was deemed just over the size limit to land at Naples' international airport. 3 The flight ultimately landed in Rome, leaving passengers to take a three-hour bus ride to their final destination. FlightAware 'We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey,' American Airlines said in a statement. The incident was only one of two that saw an Italian trip begin with a rough start last week, with a Ryanair flight to Milan forced to divert on Wednesday due to severe turbulence from a thunderstorm. The turbulence, which injured eight people, ultimately left the passengers stuck in Germany and forced on a four-and-a-half-hour bus trip to Milan.
Express Tribune
07-06-2025
- Express Tribune
American Airlines sends jet too large for Naples, diverts flight to Rome
The Boeing 787-9 is 20 feet longer than the plane that typically operates Flight 780. PHOTO: AVIATION AZ Listen to article An American Airlines transatlantic flight bound for Naples, Italy, was forced to divert to Rome after the airline dispatched an aircraft too large for the intended airport, resulting in passengers being bused over two hours to their final destination. Flight 780 departed Philadelphia on Monday evening at 19:42 local time, scheduled to land in Naples at 10:00 Tuesday morning. However, just 70 miles from its destination, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner veered away from the southern Italian city and diverted north to Rome Fiumicino Airport, landing at approximately 09:45. American Airlines attributed the diversion to 'operational limitations.' Flight data reviewed by aviation tracking service Flightradar24 confirms that the aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9, a variant typically longer than the Boeing 787-8, which usually serves the route. While both aircraft share similar wingspans, the 787-9 is 20 feet longer and, crucially, requires a higher category of emergency services to be on standby during landing. According to standards set by Boeing and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the 787-9 requires a Category 9 rescue and firefighting service (RFFS), whereas Naples International Airport provides Category 8 — sufficient only for smaller wide-body aircraft like the 787-8. Aviation enthusiast and commentator @xJonNYC first brought attention to the incident on social media platform X, citing airport sources who confirmed the larger 787-9 variant is not permitted to land in Naples. After safely landing in Rome, passengers were transferred to Naples by bus — a journey of roughly 145 miles that takes over two hours by road. American Airlines issued an apology, stating, 'We apologize to our customers for this disruption to their journey.' The diverted aircraft later departed Rome for Chicago as Flight 111, resuming its transatlantic operations. The incident marks the second time this week that passengers were rerouted by bus after flight diversions. In a separate case on Wednesday, a Ryanair flight in Europe diverted due to turbulence caused by a thunderstorm, with passengers transferred by road from Memmingen, Germany, to Milan.
Business Insider
07-06-2025
- Business Insider
American Airlines sent a plane from the US to Italy that was too big for its destination airport and wasn't allowed to land
A transatlantic American Airlines flight diverted, and passengers were transported by bus, after the carrier seemingly sent a plane that was too big for its destination. Monday's Flight 780 departed Philadelphia at 7:42 p.m. and was supposed to land in Naples, Italy, at 10 a.m. local time. However, data from Flightradar24 shows how seven hours later, the Boeing 787-9 abruptly turned around over the Tyrrhenian Sea, west of the Italian mainland. It was only about 70 miles away from Naples International Airport before it diverted north to Rome Fiumicino Airport. An American Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that the flight diverted due to "operational limitations." Historical flight data shows that the airline usually sends a Boeing 787-8 on flights to Naples. While these two Dreamliner variants are pretty similar, with the same wingspan, the 787-9 is actually 20 feet longer. Documents from Boeing and the International Civil Aviation Organization show how this means the two planes have different requirements for rescue-and-firefighting services (RFFS). The 787-8 is small enough to land at an airport with a Category 8 RFFS, but the 787-9 needs a Category 9 RFFS airport. Data from AviationWeek's Acukwik indicates that Naples Airport falls under the former classification. Aviation enthusiast @xJonNYC, who first shared the incident on X, reported that the airport authority said 787-9 planes can't land in Naples. The Naples and Rome airport authorities didn't immediately respond to requests for comment sent by BI outside Italian working hours. After landing at Rome Fiumicino Airport around 9:45 a.m., passengers were transported to Naples by bus, the airline spokesperson told BI. "We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey," they added. The two airports are around 145 miles away by road, which would take more than two hours. Meanwhile, the 787-9 departed Rome two-and-a-half hours later, operating Flight 111 to Chicago, per Flightradar24. This wasn't the only time this week that a diversion forced passengers to travel the remainder of their journey by bus. On Wednesday, a Ryanair flight diverted after a thunderstorm caused severe turbulence that injured eight people, three of whom were taken to a local hospital. Passengers were put on a bus from Memmingen, Germany, to Milan, a roughly four-and-a-half-hour journey.
