VIDEO: Italian Fighter Jets Escort New York-Delhi American Airlines Flight To Rome After Hoax Bomb Threat

Rome: Delhi-bound American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from New York received a 'bomb threat on board' and was forced to divert to Rome and make landing on Sunday. Italian Air Force fighter jets escorted the American Airlines Flight 292 to the Fiumicino airport (RM).

A video of the Italian Force fighter jets, Eurofighter Typhoons, escorting the flight also surfaced online. The flight with 199 passengers and 15 crew members, was grounded for nearly 15 hours because of the scare, as per the New York Post.

The flight from New York to Delhi made a U-turn over the Caspian Sea and diverted all the way to Rome following the bomb threat. However, it turned out to be a hoax. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner made U-turn over the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan due to a "possible security issue," the airlines had said.

Video Shared By Italian Air Force:

Passengers said the first sign they had that something was wrong was when the captain announced a "diversion due to a security issue," before the aircraft made a sharp 180-degree turn away from the Indian capital and back towards Europe.

Italian Air Force fighter jets escorted the aircraft to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport.

"Safety and security are our top priorities and we thank our customers for their understanding," the airline said in a statement. Passengers were taken to the terminal for screening, and the aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection.

As per reports, the plane took off from New York at around 8:30 PM on Saturday (February 22) night for its 14-hour journey to Delhi. However, while flying over the Caspian Sea, it suddenly turned around. According to flight tracking data, the plane had already flown over the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Black Sea before making the emergency diversion to Rome.

(With inputs from ANI)