In an embarrassing turn of events, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was compelled to cancel her intended trip to Australia as her aging VIP aircraft encountered repeated

mechanical failures, leading to the disposal of nearly two full tanks of fuel into the atmosphere.

Baerbock, a member of the Green Party within the ruling three-party coalition, faced two in-flight turnbacks after her government A340 aircraft failed to retract its landing flaps shortly after departing from Abu Dhabi to Australia on two separate occasions last Monday and Tuesday.

German journalist Patrick Deikmann, who accompanied the delegation, characterized the situation as 'embarrassing' and reported that the plane had attempted to take off three times from Abu Dhabi. The aircraft had landed there for refueling but struggled to initiate successful takeoffs.

On both occasions when takeoff was attempted, issues with the retraction of the landing flaps forced immediate landings. Due to excess weight, the plane couldn't safely return to Abu Dhabi until about 80,000 liters of fuel were jettisoned each time.

Expressing her frustration on the social media platform Twitter (now rebranded as X), Baerbock lamented, "We have tried everything: unfortunately it is logistically impossible to continue my Indo-Pacific trip without the defective plane." She further wrote, "This is more than annoying. There are few countries that are so geographically far away and at the same time so close to us as Australia and New Zealand. Although both countries are literally on the other side of the world from our perspective, freedom and democracy are part of our common DNA."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong of Australia responded, expressing her shared disappointment, and highlighted the aligned values and aspirations of both nations.

Baerbock resorted to taking a commercial flight back to Germany from Abu Dhabi. Her Australia agenda included meetings with Senator Wong, attending the Matildas vs Lionesses women's soccer World Cup match in Sydney, and speaking at the Lowy Institute. Additionally, she was set to oversee the transfer of First Nations' artifacts to the Kaurna people in Canberra.

The trip was strategically designed to demonstrate Berlin's shift in policy toward containing China and enhancing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Despite the setback, Baerbock intends to reattempt the visit in the near future.

Baerbock's A340, over 20 years old and repurposed from Germany's national airline, Deutsche Lufthansa, more than a decade ago for VIP use, has faced previous operational issues. While the German government has procured newer Airbus A350s, none were available for Baerbock's excursion.

In response to the Australia trip's cancellation, the Luftwaffe announced the immediate retirement of the two remaining A340s. Photo by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Bundestagsfraktion, Wikimedia commons.