The official aircraft carrying Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made an emergency landing in Ankara on May 3, 2026, due to a minor technical fault while en route from Madrid to Yerevan.
The Airbus A310 took off from the Torrejón de Ardoz airbase shortly before 4:00 p.m. local time. The landing was completed without incident, and no one aboard was harmed. Protocol procedures were followed despite the malfunction being described as minor.
Technical teams launched an inspection of the aircraft following touchdown. Sanchez is expected to spend the night in Ankara and continue his journey to Yerevan early in the morning. He is traveling to attend the 8th summit of the European Political Community.
This incident marks another flight issue for Sanchez, who previously missed a meeting on Ukraine held in Paris on September 4, 2025, due to an aircraft malfunction. Observers are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds.