TENERIFE, Spain — Pope Leo XIV has concluded his weeklong apostolic visit to Spain and returned to Rome aboard a replacement aircraft graciously provided by King Felipe VI, following an unexpected technical issue that grounded his original flight.
The unprecedented logistical shift occurred at Tenerife North Airport, also known as Los Rodeos, marking the final stop of the pontiff’s fourth international apostolic journey, which previously included extensive visits to Madrid, Barcelona, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The departure delay began when the Iberia Airbus A320, originally scheduled to transport the pontiff back to the Vatican, encountered a mechanical problem with its engine. The aircraft had initiated its takeoff procedures at approximately 4:15 p.m. local time. Shortly after, the boarding stairs were retracted, and the Pope was escorted back to the airport’s VIP lounge. He was joined by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, along with the other cardinals and bishops in the papal delegation, who also disembarked from the grounded plane.
King Felipe VI, who had just completed the official farewell ceremony with the pontiff moments earlier, accompanied Pope Leo XIV to the VIP lounge. In a rare and gracious gesture to ensure the safe and timely return of the head of the Catholic Church, the Spanish monarch made a state aircraft available for the Pope’s use.
BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV Forced to Abandon Plane Mid Takeoff Due to Technical Incident:
— Majuu Alone 🇰🇪 (@jaokojohnmark) June 12, 2026
In Tenerife, Spain , In a dramatic moment at Tenerife Norte Airport, #PopeLeoXIV and his entourage disembarked the Iberia Airbus bound for Rome after a technical fault , possibly engine related… pic.twitter.com/czAgv1HfQy
The Holy See Press Office confirmed the logistical adjustment in a statement published on Telegram, noting that the replacement flight successfully took off just after 6:00 p.m. local time. The pontiff is expected to arrive in Rome at approximately 11:00 p.m. local time. The Holy See staff and the pool of journalists traveling on the papal flight will return to Italy in the coming hours aboard a separate Iberia aircraft once the technical issues with the original commercial plane are fully resolved.
The unexpected delay followed a formally scheduled and smoothly executed Farewell Ceremony. Pope Leo XIV arrived at the airport at around 3:45 p.m. local time, where he was received by King Felipe VI, local authorities, and representatives of the local Church. Following the playing of the national anthems and the rendering of honors to the flags, the Pope and the King reviewed the Guard of Honour and greeted their respective delegations before the technical issue with the commercial flight was discovered.
The conclusion of the Tenerife leg marks the end of a comprehensive weeklong tour of Spain for Pope Leo XIV. The successful resolution of the travel disruption highlights the close diplomatic and logistical cooperation between the Holy See and the Spanish Crown.
