Even popes experience travel issues. Pope Leo XIV faced a travel delay when a technical problem grounded his charter flight back to Rome. Fortunately, King Felipe VI offered an alternative.
Pope Leo’s Iberia flight encountered a problem, prompting King Felipe to step in. The king provided his private jet for the pope’s return journey. The switch occurred at Santa Cruz de Tenerife Airport, located in the Canary Islands. This incident happened after a successful visit to various Spanish cities.
Pope Leo XIV’s itinerary included Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, where he addressed migration and inaugurated the new Sagrada Familia basilica tower. However, the Iberia pilot reported an engine issue, preventing the flight’s departure.
Efforts to fix the problem failed, requiring passengers to disembark. Another aircraft from Madrid was dispatched to retrieve Vatican staff and media not aboard the king’s jet. The papal flight issue was a rare occurrence, with the Canary Islands closer to Africa than Iberia itself.
“It was the first time in decades that a papal flight had experienced a problem so serious that it required the pope to change planes.”
Veteran Vatican reporters recalled similar incidents during Pope John Paul II’s time. In 1986, a snowstorm diverted his plane to Naples from India. In 1988, weather routed his flight to South Africa during a trip to Lesotho.
Normally, the Italian airline ITA Airways manages the pope’s travel. The hosting country’s carrier typically flies him home, with ITA sometimes handling entire trips. Charter flights are used, with the pope and security occupying the front, while journalists sit in the rear.
Iberia highlighted Pope Leo’s earlier trips with cockpit footage showing him smiling while flying from Madrid to Barcelona, and then to the Canary Islands. Spanish military aircraft escorted these flights as a gesture of respect.
The video’s footage shows Pope Leo waving to the escorting pilot, symbolizing the dignified nature of his visit.
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