The apostolic visit of Leo XIV to Spain concluded this Friday with an unexpected incident at Tenerife North Airport.
A technical fault detected in the aircraft that was to take the Pontiff to Rome forced a delay in the flight’s departure when the plane was already prepared for takeoff.
The mishap occurred just minutes after the official farewell ceremony that marked the end of seven days of intense pastoral activity by the Pope in Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Official farewell and boarding of the Pontiff
Before heading to the aircraft, Leo XIV held a meeting of about 25 minutes with King Felipe VI in the VIP lounge at Los Rodeos Airport.
He then took part in a brief farewell ceremony attended by representatives of the Government, the Armed Forces, the Apostolic Nunciature and local authorities.
After personally greeting those present, the Pope boarded the Iberia aircraft that was to return him to Rome together with the Vatican delegation that had accompanied him throughout the trip.
The captain reports a technical issue
When departure seemed imminent, the aircraft’s captain announced a technical problem that forced the operation to be halted.
According to what he explained to the passengers, the maintenance team believed the issue could be related to wind conditions during the start-up of one of the engines.
For this reason, it was initially proposed to tow the aircraft and change its orientation in an attempt to restart the engine.
“I am very sorry about the situation. Our maintenance team proposes towing the aircraft and turning it around, because the engine problem was probably caused by the tailwind,” the captain communicated, according to El País.
However, the inspection work took longer than expected and the technicians concluded that an immediate departure could not be guaranteed.
Felipe VI accompanied the Pope during disembarkation
Faced with the impossibility of quickly resolving the issue, it was decided to disembark the passengers.
It was then that King Felipe VI returned inside the aircraft and personally accompanied Leo XIV during his exit from the plane while the technical inspection continued.
Several members of the Vatican delegation also left the aircraft, including the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Spanish cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime.
Leo XIV will return to Rome on a Falcon
Given the impossibility of guaranteeing an immediate departure of the Iberia aircraft in which the Pontiff was to travel, an alternative solution was finally chosen to facilitate his return to the Vatican.
According to the latest reports, Leo XIV will travel to Rome on board a Falcon aircraft made available to him by King Felipe VI.
This decision will allow the Pope to begin his return without having to wait for the complete repair of the aircraft originally scheduled for the flight.
The measure will also force the Spanish monarch to reorganize his own return to Madrid, as he will have to use another aircraft to return to the capital after having loaned the Falcon to the Holy Father.
Thus, the apostolic journey of Leo XIV concludes with an unusual image: the Pontiff leaving the papal plane due to a technical fault and finally returning to Rome thanks to the aircraft provided by the head of the Spanish State.