ROME (AP) — An American Airways flight from New York to New Delhi, India, landed safely in Rome on Sunday afternoon after it was diverted attributable to a safety concern, which later proved to be “non-credible,” the airline stated.
American Airways stated Flight 292 “was inspected by legislation enforcement” after touchdown at Leonardo da Vinci Worldwide Airport and “cleared to re-depart.”
It didn’t make clear the reason for the safety concern, however added an inspection was required by protocol earlier than the flight may land in New Delhi.
“The flight will keep in Rome in a single day to permit for required crew relaxation earlier than persevering with to Delhi as quickly as potential tomorrow,” the airline stated.
An Related Press reporter filmed two fighter jets flying over the airport shortly earlier than the unscheduled touchdown. Fireplace vans have been seen on the touchdown strip on one facet of the aircraft after it landed.
Neeraj Chopra, one of many passengers on board, stated the captain introduced that the aircraft needed to flip round about three hours earlier than it was purported to land in New Delhi due to a change in “safety standing.”
Chopra, who was touring from Detroit, Michigan to go to household, described the temper on the aircraft as calm after the preliminary announcement however stated he started to really feel pressured when the captain later introduced that fighter jets can be escorting their aircraft to Rome.
“I felt slightly panic of, okay, what’s occurring right here?” Chopra advised the AP. “There’s received to be like one thing larger occurring right here.”
Passenger Jonathan Bacon, 22, from Dayton, Ohio, began being attentive to the flight tracker on the seatback in entrance of him after the captain’s announcement of a “diversion attributable to a safety concern,” observing the aircraft’s sharp flip away from New Delhi and route again towards Rome.
Passengers had no web connection for a lot of the flight, Bacon stated, with just some spotty entry that clued them into early stories of the state of affairs about two hours earlier than touchdown.
After touchdown, Bacon stated all passengers have been loaded onto buses and brought to the terminal, the place every passenger and their private objects underwent extra safety screenings that have been time-consuming and felt “barely heightened,” particularly for arrivals. Greater than two hours after touchdown, Bacon and his good friend stated they have been nonetheless ready for his or her checked baggage, which they stated was additionally present process safety screenings.
“It was undoubtedly the longest flight to Europe I’ve ever taken,” Bacon stated.
A spokesperson for the airport stated it was persevering with to function usually.
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