Ouch: German Government A340 Diverts To Abu Dhabi Twice For Same Flap Issue

Ouch: German Government A340 Diverts To Abu Dhabi Twice For Same Flap Issue

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While any aircraft can have a mechanical issue, this is pretty bad…

German foreign minister stranded in Abu Dhabi

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was scheduled to make a trip to the South Pacific, visiting Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. She was supposed to fly there on one of the German government’s two remaining Airbus A340-300s.

Specifically, she was intended to travel on Germany’s 16+01 aircraft (yes, Germany has a weird naming system for its government aircraft). This is a roughly 24-year-old jet that was initially delivered to Lufthansa back in 1999, before being taken over by the German government in 2011.

German government Airbus A340-300

The aircraft has had a string of mechanical issues over time, though nothing quite as embarrassing as what happened this week.

On Sunday, the aircraft was supposed to fly from Berlin (BER) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Canberra (CBR), with the stop in Abu Dhabi intended to simply be for refueling. The 6hr24min flight from Berlin to Abu Dhabi was routine, and it landed in the United Arab Emirates at 12:45AM on Monday morning.

Then at 3:33AM, the aircraft took off for Canberra. Unfortunately immediately after takeoff, there were issues with retracting the flaps. Therefore the aircraft had to return to Abu Dhabi, though it was too heavy to land, meaning the aircraft had to dump roughly 80 tons of fuel. The plane landed back in Abu Dhabi at 5:33AM, two hours after departure.

Germany’s A340 returning to Abu Dhabi first time

At that point some maintenance work had to be performed on the aircraft, so the entire delegation spent the night (or in this case, day) in Abu Dhabi. Finally at 1:00AM on Tuesday — roughly 19 hours after the aircraft returned to Abu Dhabi — the flight continued to Canberra.

Well, at least that was the plan. The aircraft took off, but encountered exactly the same issue it had the first time around. It once again had to dump some 80 tons of fuel, and then returned to Abu Dhabi, roughly two hours after departure.

Germany’s A340 returning to Abu Dhabi second time

Below is a video of the pilot announcing (in German) that the aircraft would once again return to Abu Dhabi.

As of now, the plane is still on the ground in Abu Dhabi, and the trip to the South Pacific will reportedly be canceled.

Germany will retire two Airbus A340s immediately

Spiegel is reporting that the German government will be retiring its two Airbus A340-300s as a result of this incident. These were supposed to be retired later this year and early next year, but instead will be decommissioned in the coming weeks.

These issues were only the latest in a string of maintenance problems with these planes.

Keep in mind that the German government has purchased three Airbus A350-900s, which are used as the new aircraft for German government officials, replacing the older A340s. These have operated much more reliably.

The German government now has Airbus A350s

Bottom line

Germany’s foreign minister has had to cancel a trip to the South Pacific, after the government’s A340-300 had the same mechanical issue twice. After refueling in Abu Dhabi, the aircraft had problems with its flaps on departure. Just under a day later, presumably after some maintenance work was performed, the same issue happened again. Germany will now be retiring its A340-300s, as they’re just that unreliable.

What do you make of this German government A340 situation?

(Featured image courtesy of N509FZ)

Conversations (26)
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  1. Azamaraal Diamond

    Green Germany dismantled all of it's nuclear electrical generation. Then Russia cut off the gas so they are madly re-commissioning DIRTY COAL. Went from dirty coal to clean Nuclear to dirty coal. How wonderful. Greens can only focus on one thing at a time.

    As we all know the A340 is the least fuel efficient airplane in the world and to use it for one Bureaucrat is pollution hypocrisy. Why not replace with A330-900?

    Should have flown commercial.

  2. DCharlie Guest

    It’s not the first time that German government officials have had to cancel high profile meetings due to maintenance issues with their aircraft. The problem lies completely with the maintenance facilities. No doubt the A350s will see a similar fate in the near future.

    These aircraft are now indeed reported to be retired. I guess the recessionary economy in Europe requires some marginalising.

  3. vlcnc Guest

    Absolutely appalling for a Senior Government Representative who is a Green politician to be using a whole plane to travel to Australia when commercial flight would have sufficed. And on an enormous plane, one of the largest with four fuel guzzling engines - this is why the German Green party are such a joke not just in politics but the climate movement.

  4. Ray Guest

    The A340s should’ve been retired 1:1 with the arrival of the A350-900s, but what do I know.

    ACJ350s have practically unlimited range, even in gov’t configuration, right? That alone would’ve spared them having to make stops from Berlin to Canberra

    1. Max Guest

      One of the 3 German ACJ350 is currently getting the VIP cabin, And unlike the A340, they don't have the missile defense system yet...

  5. TProphet Member

    I assume these aircraft will show up shortly in the South African Airways fleet!

    1. red_robbo Gold

      Not straight on to Iran with Burkina Faso registration codes?

  6. Corina Grossmann Guest

    German government - totally incompetent with everything. This is no surprise. Merkel had a similar problem. The idiots never learn.

  7. Andy Diamond

    I’m sorry to say, but the performance of the German Flugbereitschaft reflects sad the state of the nation. They simply don’t get their act together.

  8. Tim Dunn Diamond

    So will the German government now contract w/ Air France over Lufthansa to maintain its widebody Airbuses?

  9. Max Guest

    Big Lufthansa Win!

    They did offload their most problematic hangar queens to the German government when they transferred these jets. And afterwards the Lufthansa Technik subsidiary has also snatched the maintenance and repair contract for the federal government's jets, meaning they had a nice reliable stream of income due to these problematic jets.

  10. Michael_FFM Diamond

    As the aircraft is maintained by Lufthansa. Technik, I am actually wondering if they are providing inferior services when working for the government, which will probably get discounts.

  11. Chris Guest

    Bizarre, using a government jet.

    They should be flying in commercial seats.

    They would’ve been there well before the second try!

    1. Michael_FFM Diamond

      Exactly, one of the key government officials using a government jet to conduct government business in 3 countries within a week. That's indeed truly bizarre.

    2. SBS Gold

      Yes, she could've used commercial flights just fine. FJ flies to both Canberra and Wellington if she had to use airports in capital cities. Or she could fly commercial to SYD and use a much smaller private jet for local flights.

      But, it's as Orwell wrote - some animals are more equal than others, no matter what they were promising to get elected.

  12. Heli Guest

    By rigging the flaps! First of all no one diverted anywhere!! It was a regular fuel stop in AUH. After refuelling on take off the flaps didn't retract and they had to turn back to AUH. A bit more facts please!

    1. Dave Guest

      A return to field is a form of diversion. A bit more knowledge please.

  13. Endre Guest

    perfectly resembles the German government coalition

  14. Ben Holz Guest

    Doesn't get much more ironic than a Green Party member being in a private government plane that has had to dump ca. 80t of jet fuel.

    1. Ben Holz Guest

      And before some know-it-all chimes in: Yes, I'm fully aware and agree for the most part with governments using private planes, but that doesn't take away a single bit away from the irony here.

    2. Max Guest

      Even more bizzare as before the election, she promised to fly commerical whenever possible...

    3. Foo blah Guest

      160 tons of fuel into the ocean, as it happened twice (80+80=160)

  15. Jim Guest

    Does EU261 kick in, since the German Air Force is EU-flagged?

    (I'm joking. Mostly.)

  16. Andre Guest

    Also interesting is the fact there was a „test flight“ performed after the first technical issue occurred. On ground the issue couldn’t be replicated and the test flight went smoothly with no problem.

    https://flightaware.com/live/flight/GAF891/history/20230814/1712Z/OMAA/OMAA

    Apparently the issue only came up with full tanks and even after involving Airbus and Lufthansa Technic the root for the problem has not been identified nor do they know how to fix or go around this.

    Also interesting is the fact there was a „test flight“ performed after the first technical issue occurred. On ground the issue couldn’t be replicated and the test flight went smoothly with no problem.

    https://flightaware.com/live/flight/GAF891/history/20230814/1712Z/OMAA/OMAA

    Apparently the issue only came up with full tanks and even after involving Airbus and Lufthansa Technic the root for the problem has not been identified nor do they know how to fix or go around this.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

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Ben Holz Guest

Doesn't get much more ironic than a Green Party member being in a private government plane that has had to dump ca. 80t of jet fuel.

7
Greta Thunberg Guest

How dare they

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Ben Holz Guest

And before some know-it-all chimes in: Yes, I'm fully aware and agree for the most part with governments using private planes, but that doesn't take away a single bit away from the irony here.

5
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