Overview
- A technical fault on an Iberia A320 bound for Rome forced Pope Leone XIV and others to disembark during pre‑takeoff checks, with the flight crew saying the engine failed to start and maintenance could not fix it promptly.
- King Felipe VI reboarded the grounded aircraft to escort the pope to the VIP lounge and then offered his Falcon jet, which departed Tenerife around 18:00 local time and was scheduled to arrive in Rome late that evening.
- Only about fifteen of the pope’s closest aides boarded the royal Falcon with him, while most senior Vatican officials, staff and roughly 80 journalists remained on site to return on a replacement Iberia plane sent from Madrid.
- Iberia confirmed the fault could not be repaired immediately and arranged a substitute aircraft from Madrid to carry the remaining passengers later, cancelling the expected in‑flight press session that usually occurs on papal return flights.
- The episode underlines that the Vatican relies on host‑country carriers for travel, demonstrates state-level contingency cooperation for high‑profile trips, and highlights how technical checks and safety protocols can quickly reshape logistics and media access.