Pope Leo XIV's flight grounded in Spain, King Felipe offers private jet

Pope Leo XIV's charter flight home from Spain was grounded by a technical problem, prompting King Felipe VI to offer his private jet instead. The incident occurred on Friday at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands after the Iberia plane's engine failed to start while the pope was on board. Initial repair attempts failed, forcing all passengers to disembark. King Felipe escorted Leo to his Falcon jet, and the pope and his delegation departed more than three hours late. Iberia sent another plane from Madrid to fetch the Vatican officials and journalists left behind.

• Engine failure: The pilot reported that the engine failed to start after Leo had boarded Source: NPR.
• King's intervention: Felipe VI provided his private jet, a Falcon, to transport Leo back to Rome Source: AP.
• Three-hour delay: The pope departed over three hours after the scheduled time Source: NPR.
• Historical context: This is the first time in decades a papal flight required a plane change; similar incidents occurred during John Paul II's papacy, such as a forced landing due to snow in 1986 Source: AP.

The trip otherwise concluded a successful weeklong visit to Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, where Leo emphasized migration issues and inaugurated the new tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica.