German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock found herself stranded in Abu Dhabi for over 18 hours after a technical issue forced her government Airbus A340-300 to return to the United Arab Emirates capital during a refueling stop. The aircraft, which has a history of mechanical problems, experienced a malfunction with its wing flaps, preventing them from retracting correctly. As a result, the plane had to dump around 80 tons of fuel to reduce its weight for a safe landing.
Baerbock was en route to Australia, where she had a number of important appointments in Canberra scheduled for the following day. However, it remains uncertain when she will be able to continue her journey, either on the government plane or on a commercial flight.
The Airbus A340-300, registered as 16+01, previously operated for 12 years under Deutsche Lufthansa AG before being acquired by the German air force for VIP transport. Unfortunately, this particular aircraft has a troubling track record. In 2018, it was the same plane that was forced to turn back with former Chancellor Angela Merkel on board while en route to a Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was then the finance minister and vice chancellor, was also aboard the flight, which had to be aborted due to issues with the plane's electronics systems.
In another incident a few weeks prior to the Merkel incident, Scholz himself experienced a delay coming back from Bali, Indonesia when the aircraft was incapacitated due to damage to the wiring caused by rodents.
While these incidents are undoubtedly frustrating, the German government is actively phasing out the aging A340s and replacing them with more advanced and fuel-efficient A350 twin-jets. The Luftwaffe, responsible for operating these aircraft, has already taken delivery of two out of three A350s from Lufthansa Technik AG, which has installed upgraded interiors in the new planes.
As of now, Baerbock remains grounded in Abu Dhabi, awaiting further updates on her travel arrangements.