Spanish Premier’s Plane Diverts to Ankara After Technical Failure

(MENAFN) The aircraft carrying Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was forced into an emergency landing in Ankara on Sunday after developing a technical fault mid-flight — the second time in less than a year that an aircraft malfunction has disrupted the Spanish leader's travel plans.

Spain's official news agency, citing prime ministerial sources, reported that Sanchez's official Airbus A310 diverted to the Turkish capital en route from Madrid to Yerevan, where the prime minister was scheduled to attend a European Political Community summit in Armenia.

Authorities were quick to characterize the malfunction as minor, though standard protocol procedures were observed in full. Sanchez is expected to remain in Ankara overnight before resuming his journey to Yerevan in the early morning hours.

The incident draws uncomfortable parallels to a near-identical episode from less than a year ago. On September 4, 2025, Sanchez was unable to attend an Ukraine-focused gathering in Paris after his Falcon-type aircraft was forced to turn back to Madrid mid-flight due to a separate technical failure — compelling the Spanish leader to join that meeting remotely.

The back-to-back aircraft incidents are likely to raise fresh questions about the reliability of the Spanish government's official air fleet.

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