Pope Leo’s return flight from a week-long visit to Spain was delayed after his chartered Iberia aircraft experienced a technical fault. Unable to fly to Rome on Friday, the Pope was offered and ultimately travelled on a private jet belonging to Spain’s King Felipe VI. The Pope departed from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands on the King’s Falcon aircraft, over three hours behind schedule. Iberia reported that the initial issue was the aircraft’s engines failing to start after the Pope boarded, and subsequent repair attempts were unsuccessful, necessitating passenger disembarkation. Remaining Vatican officials and journalists were transported via an additional flight arranged from Madrid. This incident marks the first time in decades a Pope has been forced to change aircraft mid-journey; previous disruptions in 1986 and 1988 involved weather-related diversions and ground transportation. Typically, ITA Airways handles the Pope’s international travel, with host countries responsible for domestic and return flights.