Pope Leo XIV Returns to Rome on Spanish King’s Jet after Tenerife Plane Failure
Pope Leo XIV concluded a week‑long apostolic visit to Spain that included Masses and public events in Madrid, Barcelona, the Canary Islands and Tenerife, drawing more than 2.5 million attendees and extensive TV coverage. On 12 June, the Iberia Airbus A320 scheduled to return the pontiff to Rome suffered a technical fault – an engine problem likely caused by a tailwind – while still on the runway at Tenerife North airport. The aircraft was grounded, the Pope, King Felipe VI and the delegation disembarked, and a replacement plane was dispatched from Madrid for the journalists and senior clergy. Instead, the Pope boarded a Spanish Air Force Falcon jet provided by the king and departed for Rome, landing at Fiumicino later that night. The Pope’s final remarks in Tenerife emphasized human dignity and migration, stating “All of us are migrants.” No safety risk was reported and all protocols were followed.
The incident, occurring at the end of a historic papal tour, attracted widespread media attention across Spain and internationally, highlighting both the logistical challenges of papal travel and the Pope’s messages on solidarity and migration.