FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) reported that 4 flight attendants fell ill in Italy after consuming leftover, unserved passenger meals during a positioning flight from the United States to Rome. The incident followed the cancellation of American Airlines flight AA239 on October 3, 2026.
The Boeing 777-200ER arrived at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) at 05:07 UTC on October 4. The aircraft later operated American Airlines flight AA9601 to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), carrying passengers back to the United States.
American Airlines Rome Flight
The incident began after American Airlines canceled flight AA239 on October 3, 2026. The cancellation required the airline to reposition the widebody aircraft for scheduled service in Rome.
American Airlines dispatched a Boeing 777-200ER, registration N786AN, on a ferry positioning flight from the United States to Rome Fiumicino Airport. The aircraft completed the flight without issue and landed at FCO at 05:07 UTC on Sunday, October 4.
Less than an hour after landing, the flight deck crew transmitted an urgent message to the airline’s dispatch center. The message reported that four cabin crew members had fallen ill.
According to the initial transmissions, the affected flight attendants became sick after consuming leftover passenger meals that had not been served during the transatlantic flight. The reported circumstances led to concerns about suspected food poisoning.
Airlive reported the incident and detailed the timeline surrounding the crew illness and the aircraft’s subsequent return to service.
Incident Timeline
- October 3, 2026: American Airlines flight AA239 was canceled, creating the need for an unscheduled positioning flight to move the aircraft to Rome for scheduled operations.
- October 4, 2026, 05:07 UTC: Boeing 777-200ER registration N786AN landed at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
- October 4, 2026, 05:56 UTC: The pilots notified airline operations that four flight attendants had fallen ill after consuming extra passenger meals.
- October 5, 2026, 06:05 UTC: The aircraft departed Rome as American Airlines flight AA9601, bound for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Four Flight Attendants Reportedly Became Ill
The reported illness affected 4 cabin crew members shortly after the aircraft arrived in Rome. Initial communications linked the timing of the illness to the consumption of leftover passenger meals from the earlier flight.
The available information identifies the meals as a suspected source rather than a confirmed cause of the illness.
No specific contaminant, pathogen, or confirmed medical diagnosis was identified in the reported incident details.
The distinction is important because the available report establishes a reported connection between the meals and the crew members’ symptoms, but it does not confirm that the food was contaminated.
Aircraft Continued Its Scheduled Operation
Despite the medical incident involving four flight attendants, the aircraft was cleared to continue with its scheduled return operation.
The same Boeing 777-200ER departed Rome on Monday, October 5, at 06:05 UTC as flight AA9601. The service was bound for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and carried passengers back to the United States.
The aircraft’s continued operation shows that the reported crew illness did not prevent the widebody from completing its next scheduled flight.
The available incident information does not provide further details about the medical treatment or subsequent condition of the four affected flight attendants.
Bottom Line
The incident involved an unusual sequence of events beginning with the cancellation of AA239, followed by an unscheduled positioning flight and a reported illness affecting four cabin crew members after the aircraft reached Rome.
The key reported facts are that four American Airlines flight attendants became ill, the initial communications associated the illness with leftover unserved passenger meals, and the aircraft later returned to scheduled service as AA9601 to Dallas Fort Worth.
The available information does not establish confirmed food poisoning or identify a specific cause beyond the reported suspicion involving the leftover meals.
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