Travel disruptions can affect anyone, including popes. During his recent visit to Spain, Pope Leo XIV encountered an unexpected delay. Fortunately, King Felipe VI of Spain stepped in to assist by offering his private jet for the pope’s return to Rome.
The pope’s chartered Iberia flight, scheduled to depart after a week-long tour of Spain, faced a technical issue on Friday. Consequently, Spain’s king provided his Falcon jet, ensuring that Pope Leo could travel back as planned. The pope and his delegation took off from Santa Cruz de Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands after a delay of more than three hours.
This incident concluded an otherwise smooth visit, where the pope emphasized messages on migration and inaugurated the new tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica. The problem arose when the Iberia pilot reported a failure in starting the plane’s engine, necessitating all passengers to leave the aircraft. Efforts to resolve the issue were unsuccessful, prompting Iberia to arrange another plane from Madrid to transport the Vatican officials and journalists who were not with the pope.
The Canary Islands are closer to Africa than the Iberian Peninsula, marking a rare occasion requiring a papal plane change due to significant technical issues.
Veteran Vatican reporters recalled similar occurrences during St. John Paul II’s time. In 1986, his flight had to land in Naples due to a snowstorm in Rome, with passengers and the pope later traveling by train. A poor weather condition in 1988 diverted his plane to South Africa, despite his exclusion of the country from his trip due to apartheid.
Typically, papal visits involve flights arranged by ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier, or occasionally the host nation’s carrier. These charter flights see the pope and his entourage in the plane’s front, while about 70 journalists are seated in the rear.
Iberia had previously showcased video footage of Pope Leo in the cockpit, enjoying his journey across Spain with a broad smile. On his flights from Madrid to Barcelona and subsequently to the Canary Islands, Spanish military aircraft escorted him, underscoring the respect accorded to visiting dignitaries. Video clips even captured him waving to the escorting pilot.
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