Germany: Annalena Baerbach cancels Pacific trip

Foreign Minister Annalena Berbach is now canceling her planned week-long trip to the Pacific region after repeated breakdowns on her government plane. The surprising decision was taken on Tuesday morning. “We have checked and planned till the end, but unfortunately we cannot proceed with the planned cruise stops of the Indo-Pacific cruise. After the plane crashed “Ready to fly with options still available,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. The Green politician was expected to visit Australia, New Zealand and the island republic of Fiji first.

The jets will be phased out with immediate effect

Meanwhile, the German Air Force has announced that it will decommission two A340 government aircraft as soon as possible. This should happen in autumn or early 2024 at the earliest. However, the central government’s aviation operations are not affected, as the A350 is a “robust and modern aircraft” available for long-haul delegations. The A340 made its first flight on October 25, 1991, while the A350 entered service only in early 2015.

According to his delegation, Baerbock was due to take a scheduled morning flight from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, directly to the Australian capital Sydney with his entourage due to an air force engine failure. But it is clearly impractical.

Tras was already ready to leave

That night, Bearbock’s delegation and accompanying journalists were asked to meet at eight o’clock in the hotel lobby to depart for the airport. The decision to cancel the tour, which was a complete surprise at the time, was taken only when the entire entourage was already standing in the lobby ready to leave.

In the end, delegates talked about a difficult decision. “This is very unfortunate,” it said. It is important to repair the damage done in the coming months. Top officials are expected to visit Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for talks and important meetings. Abandoned journey To be reworked. The Indo-Pacific region is a priority for the central government.

An Airbus A340-300 had to make an extended stop in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Monday due to a defect in its landing flaps. A few hours later, after a test run, the engine took off again – and had to be returned again for the same reason.

(dpa/jar)See comments