On board an Iberia Airways flight carrying Pope Leo XIV from Tenerife back to Rome, the captain announced a technical fault that prevented the aircraft from taking off.
Shortly afterwards, the Pope and several members of his entourage disembarked.
I was among roughly 80 journalists travelling with Pope Leo XIV during his June 6–12 visit to Spain.
The return leg was being operated by Iberia Airways, as is customary for papal trips in which the Pope typically travels out on an ITA aircraft while the host country often provides the return flight.
As is tradition on papal flights, journalists are seated at the rear of the plane while the Pope, cardinals, bishops and Vatican officials occupy the front section.
Reporters pay business-class fares but sit in economy seating, in exchange for rare access to the Pope during an in-flight press conference on the return journey.
The experience is often marked by upgraded service, including specially designed menus and cabin details featuring the papal coat of arms.
Although technical issues have occurred on papal aircraft before, a complete inability to take off is extremely unusual.
Hosting the Pope is considered an honour for national carriers, and flights involving airlines from places as varied as East Timor to the UAE are typically uneventful.
The captain’s announcement on the Iberia flight therefore caused immediate confusion and tension among the press corps.
Passengers were later instructed to disembark.
News then emerged that Pope Leo had been offered the private aircraft of King Felipe of Spain for his return to Rome. I observed the Pope walking across the tarmac before boarding the alternative aircraft, while journalists remained behind awaiting a replacement flight.
Clergy members wave towards a Falcon 900B Spanish Air Force plane carrying Pope Leo XIV, that King Felipe offered to the Pope for travel, as it departs the Tenerife Norte–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, Spain, on June 12, 2026. Borja Suarez/Reuters
The incident brought an unexpectedly chaotic conclusion to what had otherwise been a significant visit to Spain by the first American pope, fluent in Spanish. Large crowds gathered across Madrid, including an estimated 1.2 million people at a Mass and procession.
He also became the first pontiff to address Spain’s parliament, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation across a politically divided chamber.
According to a report by CNN during the outbound flight, the Pope noted he was aware of competing public attention, referencing a concert by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny in Madrid on the same night he arrived.
While speculation circulated about a possible appearance, the Vatican later confirmed the two had a brief, private meeting with no photographs released.
One of the defining moments of the trip came at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. Marking 100 years since Gaudí’s death, the Pope celebrated Mass and blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ, now the tallest church structure in the world.
The event featured choral performances from one of Europe’s oldest choirs, alongside a dramatic light and fireworks display that illuminated the basilica, including drone visuals of Gaudí’s face in the night sky.
Alongside major public events, the Pope also held smaller private meetings. He visited migrants at the Las Raices camp in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, drawing attention to the risks faced by those crossing from West Africa to Europe in fragile boats. He also condemned human traffickers, telling them to “stop” and “repent,” adding that they would face “divine justice.”
He further met privately with abuse survivors and urged Spain’s bishops to listen more closely to victims and ensure reparations.
Observers noted a noticeably relaxed demeanour throughout the visit. Pope Leo spoke informally at times, encouraging young people to consider marriage and family life, and shared personal anecdotes about playing football and American football in his youth, as well as his continued interest in tennis and exercise.
At one point, he even entered the cockpit during a flight from Madrid to Barcelona, speaking with pilots over the radio and waving at an accompanying military escort aircraft.
He was also seen greeting crowds from the popemobile while making the “six-seven” hand gesture, which he reportedly enjoys using frequently.
Because he departed on the Spanish king’s aircraft, journalists were unable to hold the usual in-flight press conference with the Pope on the return journey, an interaction that typically offers rare direct questioning opportunities.
The trip concluded amid a series of unexpected developments, adding to a recent pattern of dramatic moments during Pope Leo’s travels, from political controversies abroad to the rare grounding of a papal flight itself.
