Lightning struck a Delta Air Lines plane forcing the flight to turn back

A Delta Air Lines flight heading to Rome from Boston's Logan Airport on Sunday night was forced to circle back after the aircraft was suspected to be hit by lightning, according to the airline.

The decision to divert was made "out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning," a Delta spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement.

The Airbus 333 was about an hour into the flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport when it flipped around, according to FlightAware .

The airline said the aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported among the 204 passengers or 12 crew members. Passengers were rebooked for a later flight to Rome.

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"We are working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible, and we apologize for the delay in their travel," Delta's spokesperson said. "The safety of our customers and people remains Delta’s most important priority."

Per standard procedure, Delta's maintenance team is inspecting the aircraft and pulled it out of service. It's not uncommon for airplanes to be struck by lightning, but they are designed to endure these strikes with little to no risk to passengers. The surface of a plane is bonded to let the lightning travel along the exterior and back into the atmosphere without causing damage. If there is any, it's likely just a small burn mark or hole.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning struck a Delta Air Lines plane forcing the flight to turn back