Pope Leo XIV returns to Rome after papal plane malfunction

Pope Leo XIV arrived back in Rome late Friday, concluding his seven-day apostolic journey through Spain. The pontiff's return was marked by an unexpected detour, requiring him to travel on a Spanish Air Force Falcon jet provided by the King of Spain.

This change of transport was necessitated by a technical malfunction with the Iberia aircraft originally slated for his flight back to Rome. The delay caused significant disruption, with the Pope and his entourage, including approximately 80 journalists from 55 media outlets, disembarking from the initial plane.

The flight from Tenerife North Airport in the Canary Islands was delayed by over three hours. An initial delay was attributed to the final events of his Spanish visit, while an additional two hours were lost due to the unresolved technical issue with the aircraft. Another Iberia plane was dispatched from Madrid to transport the media contingent back to Rome.

During his week-long visit, Pope Leo XIV visited Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. The journey covered 2,500 kilometers and included 21 events attended by an estimated 2.5 million people, according to preliminary figures from the trip's organizing committee.