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Italian Fighter Jets Intercepted An American Airlines Flight That Wasn't Communicating
Alberto Riva
Contributor
July 19, 2018
•
3 min read
Italian Fighter Jets Intercepted An American Airlines Flight That Wasn't Communicating
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An American Airlines Airbus A330-300 in flight between Athens (ATH) and Philadelphia (PHL) was intercepted on Thursday by Italian Air Force fighter jets, after it lost contact with air traffic control, leading to fears it might have been hijacked. Flight AA759 proceeded to its destination normally after the military pilots ascertained that nothing was amiss.
The official Twitter account of the Italian Air Forcer tweeted the news on Thursday in Italian, with a picture of two Eurofigther Typhoon jets:
A statement on the Air Force's site said that two Typhoons were scrambled at 1:00pm local time from the Istrana air base, about 30 miles northwest of Venice. The fighters intercepted the Airbus just a few minutes after taking off; their pilots "made visual contact" with the American plane and then proceeded to make sure that there was no emergency. Once communication resumed, AA759 continued to its destination, and the two Typhoons returned to base, the Air Force said.
Flight tracking site Flightaware shows that AA759 does not appear to have deviated from a normal flight path on Thursday and was on its way to PHL as expected.
Flightaware data shows the Airbus entered Italian airspace at 34,000 feet over Venice and exited over Switzerland at the same altitude. According to its manufacturer, the Typhoon can climb at a maximum rate of 62,000 feet per minute — even without pushing it, the fighter jets would have reached the Airbus very quickly before it exited Italian airspace. It's not all that rare for fighter jets to get scrambled over Europe to intercept commercial planes that aren't talking to air traffic control; two German Air Force Typhoons recently did the same with a Jet Airways 777 that had gone silent.
Earlier this year, another pair of Italian Typhoons rattled windows over Northern Italy as they broke the sound barrier in pursuit of an Air France 777 that was also incommunicado. This time, the jets — capable of twice the speed of sound — kept it subsonic while chasing the Airbus A330.
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As the plane made its way over the Atlantic toward Philly, the airline didn't appear to be too concerned.
"The aircraft did briefly lose contact with ATC, but we don't have any reports of military aircraft being sent to intercept the flight," an American Airlines spokesperson told TPG, "however, we will check with the crew once they arrive back in Philadelphia."
Featured image by AFP/Getty Images
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Best for dining at restaurants
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.