government aviator
After breakdown flights: Luftwaffe wants to phase out A340 aircraft “as soon as possible”.
One of the two A340 government aircraft in Abu Dhabi
© Sina Schuldt / DPA
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s travel debacle has consequences for the Bundeswehr’s readiness to fly: the Air Force wants to phase out its two Airbus A340 government aircraft within a few weeks.
A340 government aircraft caused travel debacle
Secretary of State Baerbock had to give up her week-long trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji on Tuesday. Their A340 aircraft had to return to Abu Dhabi after a refueling stop due to technical problems with the wing flaps. A repair initially seemed successful after a test flight, but the problem then recurred after the next departure of Baerbock and her delegation.
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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 machines that have now been put into service, “robust and modern aircraft are available for long-haul routes,” said the Air Force on the online network X (formerly Twitter).
First, the newspapers of the Funke Media Group reported on the retirement of the A340. The Foreign Minister’s plane stranded in Abu Dhabi should therefore be sorted out by the end of 2024, as the Air Force has now clarified according to the Funke newspapers. After the breakdown, it was initially said that the plane used by Baerbock should no longer fly from the end of September. According to the report, however, this affects the second A340 aircraft.
Editor’s note: In the meantime, the picture for this article showed a different plane. We have exchanged the photo and we apologize.