Spanish PM’s plane makes emergency landing in Ankara

ANKARA

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez looks on during a signing ceremony with Senegal's President after meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on March 26, 2026. (AFP)

A plane carrying Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made an emergency landing in Ankara on May 3 because of a technical issue while en route from Madrid to Yerevan for a European Political Community summit, Spain’s official news agency EFE reported.

The official Airbus A310 aircraft carrying Sanchez and his delegation landed in the Turkish capital after what government sources described as a minor technical malfunction, according to EFE.

Protocol procedures were followed after the fault was detected, and Sanchez was expected to spend the night in Ankara before continuing to Armenia early on May 4.

The Spanish premier was traveling to Yerevan for the eighth meeting of the European Political Community, which brings together leaders from across the continent. 

European Council President António Costa and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are co-chairing the meeting, where leaders are expected to discuss democratic resilience, connectivity, and economic and energy security.

It was the second aircraft-related disruption to Sanchez’s travel in recent months. On Sept. 4, 2025, he missed a Ukraine meeting in Paris after a technical fault forced his Falcon-type aircraft to return to Madrid. He attended that meeting virtually.