Technical issue forces Spanish PM’s plane to land

Pedro Sánchez ’s official aircraft made a precautionary landing in Ankara on Sunday after a minor technical issue occurred mid-flight, according to Spain’s state news agency EFE.

The Airbus A310 carrying the Spanish prime minister was traveling from Madrid to Yerevan for a European Political Community meeting when the issue was detected. Following standard safety protocols, the crew diverted the aircraft to Ankara.

Officials described the malfunction as minor, emphasizing that the decision to land was taken in line with established procedures. Sánchez is expected to stay overnight in Ankara and resume his journey to Armenia early the next morning.

This marks the second time in recent months that a technical problem has disrupted the prime minister’s travel. In September 2025, a Falcon-type aircraft carrying Sánchez was forced to return to Madrid shortly after takeoff due to a fault, causing him to miss an in-person meeting on Ukraine in Paris. He later joined that meeting virtually.