An American Airlines flight from JFK Airport to New Delhi was forced to divert to Rome on Sunday after a reported bomb threat on board. The dramatic incident saw the aircraft escorted by military fighter jets before making a safe landing in Italy.

American Airlines Flight 292 carried 199 passengers and 15 crew members. The flight had been just two hours from its destination when it made a sudden U-turn over Turkmenistan due to a "possible security issue," the airline confirmed.

A Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO) Airport spokesman 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 better cope with this "type of incident". Although the airport did not elaborate on the type of ongoing event.

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Flight Diverts Due to Bomb Threat

Passengers first realized something was amiss when the captain announced a "diversion due to a security issue." The aircraft then made a sharp turn away from India and back towards Europe.

"I felt a little panic of, OK, what’s going on here?" said passenger Neeraj Chopra, who was traveling from Detroit to visit family in India.

Italian Military Jets Escort the Flight

The Italian Air Force later confirmed that the diversion was due to a possible bomb on board. Stunning images shared on social media showed the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner being escorted by two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes.

Passengers were in the air for a total of 14 hours and 45 minutes before finally landing at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport.

"It was definitely the longest flight to Europe I’ve ever taken," said Jonathan Bacon, 22, from Dayton, Ohio.

Upon landing, passengers were transported by bus, underwent additional security screenings, and faced extended waits for their luggage.

American Airlines Responds

“Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their understanding,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops.”

The flight, originally scheduled to be a 14-hour journey to New Delhi, had departed JFK at around 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. It finally landed in Rome at about 11:15 a.m. ET on Sunday.

This incident comes less than two weeks after another American Airlines flight faced a security scare in Texas.

That flight was delayed for nearly five hours after a passenger created a Wi-Fi hotspot with the alarming name, "There is a bomb on the flight."