Plane denied landing permission just above runway; passengers forced to travel 225 km by road

A plane was just 20 feet above the runway and passengers were prepared for landing when the pilot suddenly received instructions not to land. The aircraft had to ascend again at the last moment. Due to the last-minute denial of landing permission, passengers were forced to travel 225 kilometres by road.

The incident affected tourists en route to a holiday destination, after the authorities realised at the final moment that the aircraft attempting to land was too large for the airport.

The aircraft involved was an American Airlines flight attempting to land at Naples Airport in Italy. Authorities denied landing permission, citing that the plane was larger than what the runway is certified to accommodate. As a result, the flight was diverted to Rome. Passengers then had to travel by road, which took nearly three hours.

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which was diverted and made to land in Rome. Typically, a smaller Boeing 787-8 operates the Philadelphia-to-Naples route. The Dreamliner that arrived on this occasion was 20 feet longer than the usual aircraft. According to officials, the diversion was due to operational restrictions.