Plain clothes policemen were yesterday present aboard Air Malta`s flight to Rome after Italian authorities asked airlines to step up security due to the NATO meeting held in the Italian capital yesterday.

Sources said a number of SAG policemen were strategically and unobtrusively placed on Air Malta`s morning flight to Rome.

It is not known how many policemen were on board or whether they were armed.

As the NATO meeting was being staged at a military airbase less than two minutes flying time from Rome`s Fiumicino airport, Italian authorities, concerned that militants might try to overpower a commercial jet and target the summit centre, had ordered all companies using Fiumicino to put security staff on their flights.

Some airlines, including Italian carriers, had decided instead to ground their planes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., saying that they did not have enough security staff trained in airline safety to meet government requirements.

However, a spokesman for Air Malta confirmed that the company abided by instructions issued by competent authorities and that yesterday morning`s flight left as usual and on time from Malta`s airport.

He would not be drawn into what other type of security measures were taken.

The Italian government yesterday also deployed fighter jets to patrol the skies in case of possible airborne attack while anti-air missiles and helicopter gunships were on hand.

About 15,000 soldiers, police and firemen were on guard duty at the Pratica di Mare military airbase, Europe`s second largest.