Papal travels disrupted by technical issues, weather

Pope Leo XIV faced an unexpected travel disruption when the Iberia flight scheduled to take him from Tenerife North Airport back to Rome could not depart due to a technical issue. He ultimately returned to the Italian capital aboard the official Falcon jet offered by King Felipe VI of Spain.

This incident adds to a history of papal travel deviations. In September 1988, Pope John Paul II's plane had to make an emergency landing in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a tour of southern African nations due to severe weather. He completed his journey to Lesotho by car.

John Paul II experienced at least seven other travel setbacks, many caused by adverse weather, leading to canceled programs, delays, or changes in transportation. On one occasion in February 1986, returning from India, his flight made an emergency landing in Naples because a snowstorm had paralyzed Rome, forcing him to take an overnight train.

More recently, Pope Benedict XVI, during his return flight from Bavaria in August 2005, requested the Lufthansa Airbus pilot to lower the altitude for a greeting to his hometown. This deviation allowed him to fly over other significant childhood locations. Pope Francis, in January 2015, advanced his departure from Tacloban, Philippines, by four hours due to the threat of Tropical Storm Mekkhala. In January 2018, a security incident briefly detained Pope Francis at Las Palmas air base in Peru after a man crossed the papamobile's path.