Pope Leo XIV’s return flight to Rome hit a wall Friday when his Iberia charter was grounded by a technical problem at the end of a weeklong visit to Spain — leaving the pontiff stranded until Spain’s king stepped in with his private jet.
The charter had been scheduled to carry Leo back to Rome after the seven-day trip. No details were released on the nature of the technical fault, and it’s unclear how long the delay lasted before the royal aircraft was offered.
Spain’s king offered use of his personal plane to get the pope airborne. The Vatican Media, credited by the Associated Press for imagery from the trip, didn’t immediately provide further details on the flight’s ultimate departure time or route.
NPR reported the development Friday, June 13, citing the grounding as a prompt for the royal offer. Whether Leo ultimately departed Spain on the king’s jet Friday or was held over isn’t confirmed in initial reports.
Originally reported by NPR. Read the original report.
