Pope borrows King of Spain's jet to return to Vatican after technical issue
By Joshua McElweeReuters
Pope Leo XIV and Spain's King Felipe VI leave the plane from which the Pope was due to depart on, following an incident at Tenerife Norte–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, according to local media, Canary Islands, Spain, June 12, 2026, at the end of a seven-day apostolic journey to Spain, with visits to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, where he met with migrants and humanitarian organizations. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
Borja Suarez
Reuters
TENERIFE, Spain - Pope Leo boarded a Falcon jet offered by the King of Spain after a technical issue grounded the larger papal plane on the island of Tenerife, delaying his return to the Vatican on Friday at the end of a week-long tour of Spain.
The Spanish government said the air force plane used by the king would fly the pope and several members of his delegation to Rome. The rest of the delegation and reporters will travel on another plane being sent from Madrid.
Leo had already boarded his Iberia-operated flight after being seen off by King Felipe and other Spanish dignitaries, but was then escorted off the aircraft by the king back to the terminal.
In announcements made after the pope had disembarked, the captain said the engine had likely failed to start because of the wind. He later said the issue could not be resolved immediately and that passengers would have to leave the plane.
Iberia said in a statement that the plane had experienced an unspecified technical issue and that a replacement plane was being sent from Madrid that would complete the journey to Rome on Friday.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee and Corina Pons; writing by Charlie Devereux and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
A Spanish flag flutters from the plane from which the Pope was due to depart at Tenerife Norte–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport following an incident, according to local media, Spain, June 12, 2026, at the end of a seven-day apostolic journey to Spain, with visits to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, where he met with migrants and humanitarian organizations. REUTERS/Borja Suarez Borja Suarez Reuters
Pope Leo XIV and Spain's King Felipe VI leave the plane from which the Pope was due to depart on, following an incident at Tenerife Norte–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, according to local media, Canary Islands, Spain, June 12, 2026, at the end of a seven-day apostolic journey to Spain, with visits to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, where he met with migrants and humanitarian organizations. REUTERS/Borja Suarez Borja Suarez Reuters
Pope Leo XIV and Spain's King Felipe VI walk on the tarmac after leaving the plane from which the Pope was due to depart on, following an incident at Tenerife Norte–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, according to local media, Canary Islands, Spain, June 12, 2026, at the end of a seven-day apostolic journey to Spain, with visits to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, where he met with migrants and humanitarian organizations. REUTERS/Borja Suarez Borja Suarez Reuters
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 12:15 PM.
