Pope's Tenerife departure halted by Iberia A320 technical fault

After a week‑long papal visit to Spain, Pope Francis was scheduled to leave Tenerife on an Iberia Airbus A320. At the runway the aircraft suffered a motor failure that prevented take‑off. Iberia announced an irreparable technical problem and dispatched a replacement aircraft from Madrid. In the meantime the Pope transferred to a Spanish Air Force Falcon provided by King Felipe VI, departing for Rome about thirty minutes later. The incident drew extensive media coverage of the aborted departure and the airline’s handling of the fault.

The malfunction caused a brief delay but no injuries or broader disruption, and the Pope’s itinerary continued as planned after the substitution flight.