German Foreign Minister Cancels Oceania Trip Due to Plane Debacle
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had to cancel her trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji after her government plane, an Airbus A340-300, experienced repeated wing flap problems. The plane made two emergency landings within two days, leaving the minister stranded in Abu Dhabi. Germany's government planes have a reputation for being unreliable, with previous incidents causing delays for top officials. As a result of this latest incident, the Luftwaffe Air Force announced the early retirement of the faulty plane and its replacement with recently acquired A350 planes.