Overview
- The papal plane was preparing to taxi on Friday when the captain announced a maintenance problem, and Pope Leo XIV and King Felipe VI disembarked and returned to the terminal.
- Iberia said maintenance specialists are examining the aircraft, and the captain suggested strong winds may have prevented an engine from starting and proposed towing the jet to face the wind for another attempt.
- About 80 journalists, along with Vatican officials and members of the clergy, remained on board during the delay while the pope and the king were escorted back to the airport building.
- The delay came at the end of a seven-day state visit to Spain that included major events in Madrid and Barcelona and Canary Islands stops focused on migrants, youth outreach and clerical abuse.
- The airline’s inspection and the captain’s wind theory leave the exact cause unresolved, and officials say the flight will depart only after checks confirm the aircraft is safe which may raise short-term logistical and reputational questions for Iberia and the Vatican.