German foreign minister stranded after plane breaks down
The government plane, which was en route to Australia, was forced to return to Abu Dhabi after a technical malfunction
14 August 2023 - 19:12
byMiranda Murray
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German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Vilnius, Lithuania, April 22 2022. Picture: JANIS LAIZANS/REUTERS
Berlin — German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was forced to temporarily halt a trip to Australia on Monday due to mechanical issues with her plane, according to a ministry spokesperson.
The government plane was forced to return to Abu Dhabi for safety reasons after a technical malfunction with the wing flaps, said the spokesperson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The German Air Force said its crew was working to ensure Baerbock can continue her trip, which also includes stops in New Zealand and Fiji, and would issue more information when the Airbus A340 was ready to go.
Baerbock was stranded in Doha in May after problems with the tyres on the plane she was travelling on.
She also had to cancel a trip to meet her British counterpart, James Cleverly, last year due to poor weather.
In 2018, former Chancellor Angela Merkel missed the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina over a “serious malfunction” that forced her government plane to make an unscheduled landing.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
German foreign minister stranded after plane breaks down
The government plane, which was en route to Australia, was forced to return to Abu Dhabi after a technical malfunction
Berlin — German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was forced to temporarily halt a trip to Australia on Monday due to mechanical issues with her plane, according to a ministry spokesperson.
The government plane was forced to return to Abu Dhabi for safety reasons after a technical malfunction with the wing flaps, said the spokesperson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The German Air Force said its crew was working to ensure Baerbock can continue her trip, which also includes stops in New Zealand and Fiji, and would issue more information when the Airbus A340 was ready to go.
Baerbock was stranded in Doha in May after problems with the tyres on the plane she was travelling on.
She also had to cancel a trip to meet her British counterpart, James Cleverly, last year due to poor weather.
In 2018, former Chancellor Angela Merkel missed the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina over a “serious malfunction” that forced her government plane to make an unscheduled landing.
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