German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has changed his travel plans for a key summit in South America due to a technical malfunction in the government aircraft. The German Air Force Airbus A350, scheduled to depart from Hamburg, is currently out of service following an issue with its de-icing system, as confirmed by the Foreign Office on Friday.
The airline spokesperson from the Luftwaffe stated that necessary spare parts have been ordered to address the defect. As a result, Wadephul will now fly commercially to Colombia, where he is expected to represent Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit.
The minister’s itinerary includes a continuation to Santa Marta, located on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast, for the summit. Following this, on Sunday, Wadephul plans to travel to Bolivia for discussions with the newly elected government. His schedule also includes attending a meeting in Canada with counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This incident highlights ongoing issues within Germany’s fleet of government aircraft, which have faced numerous technical problems in recent years. Annalena Baerbock, Wadephul’s predecessor, experienced a notable disruption when her official Airbus A340 was grounded in Abu Dhabi due to malfunctioning landing flaps during a refueling stop. This incident forced her to cancel a planned trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji in August 2023.
As the German government continues to grapple with these technical challenges, Wadephul’s ability to effectively represent Germany on the international stage will depend on the reliability of alternative travel arrangements. The Foreign Office has not provided a timeline for when the Airbus A350 will return to service, raising questions about future travel plans for officials.