Pope Leo XIV’s Travel Delays and Royal Assistance

The travel plans of Pope Leo XIV faced unexpected challenges during his recent visit to Spain. The pope’s return to Rome was delayed due to a technical issue with his charter flight. Fortunately for Pope Leo, King Felipe VI stepped in with a solution, offering his own private jet.

King Felipe personally escorted Pope Leo to the Falcon jet at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands. The pope and his delegation departed more than three hours later than initially planned due to the delay. The technical glitch was an uncommon end to an otherwise successful trip, which included stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. During his visit, Pope Leo emphasized his migration message and inaugurated the Sagrada Familia basilica tower.

The Iberia pilot explained that the engine failed to start after the pope had already boarded. Initial attempts to repair the engine were unsuccessful, necessitating all passengers to disembark.

Iberia announced that another plane was en route from Madrid to transport remaining Vatican officials and journalists not with the pope on the Falcon jet. Notably, the Canary Islands are geographically closer to Africa than Spain’s mainland.

This incident marked the first significant issue with a papal flight in decades. Veteran Vatican reporters, some of whom were present on the Iberia flight, recalled a few past disruptions during St. John Paul II’s papacy. For instance, a 1986 return from India required an emergency landing in Naples due to a snowstorm in Rome, and a 1988 trip to Lesotho was rerouted to South Africa because of bad weather.

Typically, ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier, is responsible for transporting the pope to and from destinations. The host country’s national carrier usually handles the pope’s return journey; however, when the trip is lengthy or the destination lacks infrastructure, ITA manages the round trip. These flights are specially chartered, with Pope Leo, his delegation, and security at the plane’s front while about 70 journalists occupy the coach section.

Earlier in the trip, Iberia shared a video showcasing Pope Leo inside the cockpit, smiling as he traveled from Madrid to Barcelona and onward to the Canary Islands. As a mark of respect, Spanish military aircraft provided an escort, and at one point, Pope Leo was seen waving to the escorting pilot.