German Government Grounds Aging Airbus Fleet After Foreign Minister Gets Stranded: Upgrades to Modern A350 Aircraft in Progress
Germany is decommissioning two Airbus 340 government planes early after Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was stranded in Abu Dhabi due to safety issues. The planes will be replaced by more modern A350 aircraft.
Germany will be decommissioning two aging Airbus 340 government planes earlier than planned after an incident involving Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock being stranded in Abu Dhabi due to safety issues. The air force spokesperson announced that the planes will be taken out of service in the coming weeks, ahead of their scheduled decommissioning in September 2023 and the end of 2024.
Baerbock had to cancel her planned trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji after experiencing technical issues with the wing flaps following a refueling stop in Abu Dhabi. This incident is the latest in a series that prompted Berlin to revamp its government fleet.
In 2018, former Chancellor Angela Merkel missed the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina due to a malfunction that forced her A340 government plane to make an unscheduled landing. The air force spokesperson stated that the retired A340 planes will be replaced by the more modern and reliable A350 long-haul aircraft.
Currently, two A350s are in service with the Luftwaffe's VIP squadron, and a third one is being retrofitted for government use. Age-related concerns regarding the retired planes were not addressed by the defense ministry spokesperson.