Brazil’s air force announced on Tuesday that the airplane transporting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva encountered a technical issue after departing from Mexico City. As a result, the aircraft, an Airbus A319, will be returning to the Mexican capital to allow the President to board another flight back to Brazil.
At the time of the announcement, the airplane was still airborne over Mexico City, having been in flight for approximately two hours. The Brazilian air force confirmed that necessary security procedures were successfully carried out in response to the problem. However, due to fuel consumption considerations, the pilots were required to return to the airport of origin.
President Lula had traveled to Mexico to attend the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. During his visit, he also held discussions with outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The aircraft was observed circling the Felipe Angeles airport, situated north of Mexico City. This commercial airport, constructed on a former military base, was developed by former President López Obrador following the cancellation of a larger airport project closer to the city. Notably, several foreign dignitaries, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, had utilized this airport to attend President Sheinbaum’s inauguration.
Earlier this year, an airplane carrying President Lula's security team faced technical difficulties while en route to the Brazilian state of Paraiba. The aircraft was unable to take off, although the presidency assured that the staff members were never in jeopardy during the incident.
