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Sánchez's Plane Diverts to Ankara Over Technical Fault En Route to Armenia

The precautionary landing renews scrutiny of Spain's aging government aircraft.

Overview

  • An Airbus A310 carrying Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez diverted to Ankara after a technical fault on Sunday, delaying his trip to a European leaders' meeting in Armenia.
  • The Spanish delegation stayed overnight in the Turkish capital and left Monday morning once the issue was fixed, using the same aircraft.
  • A smaller Falcon jet was flown to Turkey overnight as a backup, which is standard protocol to keep official travel moving during repairs.
  • The delay meant Sánchez missed the summit's family photo, though he later joined the plenary and roundtable sessions in Yerevan.
  • Officials called the fault minor and shared no technical details, and the episode has renewed debate about a VIP fleet of two Airbus A310s and five Falcon 900s that are roughly 40 years old and used by the government and the royal household.