Merkel talks about the plane defect that delayed the Chancellor at the G20 meeting in Argentina

The government plane A340 that would take German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the G20 meeting in Argentina was due to stop on Thursday in Köln. The communications system suffered a complete collapse.

After an hour of flying to Argentina to participate in the work of the G20 summit, government plane A340 “Konrad Adenauer” with Chancellor Angela Merkel had to stop at Kölni Airport on Thursday (30.11).

According to media information, there has been a complete collapse of the communications system, considered a dangerous “emergency”. So the pilots had decided to stop flying immediately.

“Der Spiegel” writes that only via satellite phone was the crew on board able to communicate with the management center to conduct the descent at Köln Airport.

The situation has been so critical that as soon as possible, the Minister of Defence, Ursula von der Leyeen, has immediately been notified.

Even when it says that the relationship needed for electronic communication had been completely severed, it reported.

The German Chancellor also confirmed that there was a serious “defect”. But she spoke Friday morning with very good words for the captain and his team. “I had a very excellent team”. There has been the most experienced <x4*capentine”.

It is now known that the German delegation, attended by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, will not be in due time at the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina.

German government spokesman Stephen Seibert said that a further direct flight to another aircraft is not possible, the flight will be carried out by official plane to Madrid, then by line to Buenos Aires.

The Chancellor will try to be present in the evening programme of G20 heads of state and government. /dw/