American Airlines flight diverts after jet deemed too large to land in Italy

American Airlines passengers bound for Naples, Italy, were forced to disembark in Rome and take a 140-mile bus ride after the airline dispatched an aircraft too large to land at their intended destination.

The flight, originally scheduled to land at Naples International Airport in the Italian city of Naples on June 3, instead touched down at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, according to flight data from FlightAware cited by USA TODAY .

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed from Philadelphia in the U.S. on the evening of June 2. While American Airlines typically operates this route using the smaller Boeing 787-8, suitable for Naples Airport, it opted to use the larger 787-9 for this flight.

As the aircraft approached Italy, it made a sudden turn over the Tyrrhenian Sea and diverted to Rome, about halfway between the two cities.

An American Airlines spokesperson later told CBS News the diversion was due to "operational limitations."

The flight was carrying 231 passengers and 11 crew members. After landing in Rome, passengers were transported by bus to Naples, a journey of roughly three hours.

Though both 787 variants share the same wingspan, the 787-9 is 20 feet longer and can carry 290 passengers compared to the 787-8's 242. The issue reportedly involved differences in rescue and firefighting service (RFFS) requirements.

According to documents from Boeing and the International Civil Aviation Organization, reviewed by Business Insider , the 787-9 requires a Category 9 RFFS airport, while the 787-8 is permitted at Category 8 airports.

Naples Airport is certified for Category 8 RFFS, making it unsuitable for the larger jet.