Felipe VI rescues stranded Pope with ageing Falcon after papal plane breakdown in Spain
The King's Falcon 900 came to the Pope's rescue after the papal plane broke down. The incident exposes the poor state of Spain's official air fleet and the cost of improvisation.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Felipe VI picks up the Pope in a ageing Falcon after official plane fails
The papal plane, known as the 'Papaplane', suffered a breakdown that forced an emergency operation: King Felipe VI had to travel personally in one of the Spanish Air Force's ageing Falcons to pick up the Pontiff and bring him to Spain. The episode, more suited to a farce than to Vatican diplomacy, has sparked outrage over the state of the government's air fleet.
Initial reports suggest the fault occurred on the ground, before take-off. The quick fix was to call on a Falcon 900, decades old, which is normally used for transporting officials. The irony did not go unnoticed: while the Spanish government boasts about modernising the fleet, the year's main diplomatic gesture was resolved with a plane some describe as a 'flying museum'.
The King's Falcon and the 'stains' of the past
The Falcon 900s of the 45 Group's series 30 have been in service since the nineties. Their maintenance has drawn recurring criticism; Emeritus King Juan Carlos I already used one unofficially dubbed 'Air Force Juan'. Jokes about the aircraft's condition were quick to trinc: 'they shone the ultraviolet lights and there wasn't a centimetre of the plane without a stain', went one comment on social media, alluding to the excesses of the former monarch.
Beyond the humour, the operation reveals a worrying lack of redundancy. Was the presidential plane, a modernised Airbus A310, available? No, according to unofficial sources. The alternative was a Falcon which, on top of everything, had to be 'cleaned' before boarding the Supreme Pontiff.
Sabotage or negligence?
Some analysts point to possible sabotage. The incident recalls another recent one involving an Iberia flight in which the Pope appeared in the cockpit, which made headlines around the world. 'Someone didn't like it', goes the speculation. Others point to simple neglect in the maintenance of a fleet that has endured years of budget cuts.
The fact is that the image of a king picking up the Pope in a plane from almost the pre-internet era is not the best calling card for a country that prides itself on technological leadership. Nor for a Treasury that paid for the alucinación in a Falcon that should have been retired.
The hidden cost of improvisation
Each flight hour of a Falcon 900 costs around 6,000 euros, according to official rates. The King's diversion also meant cancelling his schedule, mobilising additional security and, probably, some compensation payment to the Vatican. A bill which, added to the repair of the Papaplane, could reach millions.
Meanwhile, the Government remains silent. The Ministry of Defence has issued no official statement on the state of the papal plane. The question hanging in the air: how many more planes are actually fit to fly?
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The papal plane, known as the 'Papaplane', suffered a breakdown that forced an emergency operation: King Felipe VI had to travel personally in one of the Spanish Air Force's ageing Falcons to pick up the Pontiff and bring him to Spain. The episode, more suited to a farce than to Vatican diplomacy, has sparked outrage over the state of the government's air fleet.
Initial reports suggest the fault occurred on the ground, before take-off. The quick fix was to call on a Falcon 900, decades old, which is normally used for transporting officials. The irony did not go unnoticed: while the Spanish government boasts about modernising the fleet, the year's main diplomatic gesture was resolved with a plane some describe as a 'flying museum'.
The King's Falcon and the 'stains' of the past
The Falcon 900s of the 45 Group's series 30 have been in service since the nineties. Their maintenance has drawn recurring criticism; Emeritus King Juan Carlos I already used one unofficially dubbed 'Air Force Juan'. Jokes about the aircraft's condition were quick to trinc: 'they shone the ultraviolet lights and there wasn't a centimetre of the plane without a stain', went one comment on social media, alluding to the excesses of the former monarch.
Beyond the humour, the operation reveals a worrying lack of redundancy. Was the presidential plane, a modernised Airbus A310, available? No, according to unofficial sources. The alternative was a Falcon which, on top of everything, had to be 'cleaned' before boarding the Supreme Pontiff.
Sabotage or negligence?
Some analysts point to possible sabotage. The incident recalls another recent one involving an Iberia flight in which the Pope appeared in the cockpit, which made headlines around the world. 'Someone didn't like it', goes the speculation. Others point to simple neglect in the maintenance of a fleet that has endured years of budget cuts.
The fact is that the image of a king picking up the Pope in a plane from almost the pre-internet era is not the best calling card for a country that prides itself on technological leadership. Nor for a Treasury that paid for the alucinación in a Falcon that should have been retired.
The hidden cost of improvisation
Each flight hour of a Falcon 900 costs around 6,000 euros, according to official rates. The King's diversion also meant cancelling his schedule, mobilising additional security and, probably, some compensation payment to the Vatican. A bill which, added to the repair of the Papaplane, could reach millions.
Meanwhile, the Government remains silent. The Ministry of Defence has issued no official statement on the state of the papal plane. The question hanging in the air: how many more planes are actually fit to fly?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (29 replies).
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