German foreign minister cancels Pacific visit after 'annoying' plane problem

BERLIN

An embarrassing plane trouble forced German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday to cancel a weeklong trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.


“We tried everything: Unfortunately it is logistically impossible to continue my Pacific trip without the defective aircraft. This is more than annoying,” Baerbock wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.


“In the Pacific region, we not only have close friends and partners. The region will decisively shape the world order of the 21st century,” she also said.


Baerbock was stranded in Abu Dhabi for more than 18 hours after her government plane – a modified Airbus A340 – encountered mechanical problems.


The plane carrying Baerbock and her delegation made a stopover in Abu Dhabi on Monday to refuel but experienced technical problems shortly after the take-off.


Following checks and a test flight, the plane took off again for Australia, but the problem recurred, the German Air Force said on X.


“Mission aborted! The error has occurred again with the aircraft now fully fueled. We are now landing again in Abu Dhabi,” the Team Luftwaffe said.

In recent years top German politicians, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have encountered embarrassing plane troubles, and had to change their travel plans at last minute.

Following the latest incident that forced Baerbock to cancel her Pacific visit, the German Air Force announced on Tuesday that the two ageing Airbus 340 government planes will be taken out of service in the coming weeks.