Pope Leo XIV's return flight grounded; Spanish King Felipe VI provides private jet

Pope Leo XIV concluded a seven-day visit to Spain on June 12, 2026, but his return to Rome was disrupted when the engine of his chartered Iberia Airbus A320 failed to start at Tenerife Norte-Los Rodeos Airport. After initial attempts to fix the problem failed, the pope and members of his delegation disembarked, with King Felipe VI — who had just completed the farewell ceremony — personally escorting Leo back to the terminal. The pilot suggested wind conditions may have caused the engine startup failure and proposed towing the aircraft to face the wind, but ultimately Leo departed roughly three hours late aboard the king's Falcon jet, landing in Rome at approximately 11:00 p.m. local time. Vatican officials, cardinals, and approximately 80 journalists remained behind and were due to return on a replacement Iberia aircraft sent from Madrid. Leo's Spain trip included an open-air Mass in Madrid attended by over one million people, the inauguration of the tallest tower at Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica, and a two-day visit to the Canary Islands where he urged action on migration, condemned human traffickers, and cast a wreath into the sea to honor the thousands who have died attempting the Atlantic crossing from West Africa. The pope is scheduled to visit Lampedusa, Italy, on July 4, continuing his focus on migration as a defining theme of his papacy.