Oops, wrong plane: American Airlines crew realizes mid-descent that they’re not authorized to land in Naples

Known for its incredible food, rich history, and beautiful landscapes and architecture, Italy has long been one of the most popular travel destinations for Americans. However, 231 recent visitors from the U.S. received an unexpected surprise when they were forced to land in a different part of the country than planned.

American Airlines was left red-faced when Flight 780 from Philadelphia to Naples was told it wasn’t allowed to land in the southern Italian city. And to make matters worse, the pilot was only made aware of the issue when the plane was only 40 miles away and had already started its descent.

Communication mix-up leads to diversion

The reason cited by AA was “operational limitations,” caused by the aircraft flying to Naples not being authorized to land at its airport.

The flight was operated by a Boeing 787-9, which is approximately 20ft (6m) longer than the Boeing 787-8 American Airlines normally sends to Naples. Despite Naples being Italy’s third biggest city, its airport isn’t licensed for the bigger plane, leading to a frantic, mid-air scramble to find a solution a short time before landing.

Passengers arrive in Italy...in the wrong city

In the end, the flight was diverted to Rome, which is about 140 miles north west of Naples. After a safe landing in the Italian capital at 9:45 a.m., a bus was provided for passengers, who had traveled through the night, to make their way to their intended destination, meaning they arrived several hours later than anticipated.

Following the mix-up, American Airlines received criticism from travelers and issued a brief public apology: “We apologize to them for this disruption to their journey.”

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