German Air Force - Luftwaffe plans to retire two government planes earlier than scheduled after Baerbock canceled her Pacific trip, with hiccups.
After recent defects in a flight operated by 16+01 aircraft , with which Foreign Minister Baerbock wanted to fly to Australia, the Bundeswehr is drawing consequences. Two A340 aircraft would be retired prematurely.
One was originally supposed to be discarded in the fall and the other next year. They are now to be replaced by the already existing, more modern A350s on long-haul routes.
Recently, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a stopover in Abu Dhabi on her way to Australia to refuel. When the Luftwaffe plane, with some journalists on board, wanted to leave again, it turned out that there were problems with the so-called flaps.
The pilot of the aircraft briefed on the air turn back and said there's "enough kerosene on board." "We'll dump fuel again and make a normal landing just like yesterday." In his many years as a pilot, the captain had 'never seen' this before.
Baerbock had to cut short her trip to Australia. She explained that this was more than annoying. The Indo-Pacific region will have a decisive influence on the world of the 21st century. That's why personal exchange is so important.
The aircraft circled the city in the United Arab Emirates and dumped enough fuel to land again. After checking the wing flaps in Abu Dhabi, a second take-off attempt was made. That turned out not to work.
"The wing flaps can no longer be retracted. They are stuck again. We are facing exactly the same problem as yesterday," the pilot said, according to a journalist from the German news agency DPA who was on board the aircraft.
The Air Force apparently does not expect problems with the transport of members of the government from the decommissioning of the two A340s. With the A350 aircraft that have now been put into service, "robust and modern aircraft are available for long-haul routes," said Luftwaffe.
