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Airbus computer issue affects papal plane during trip to Turkey

The flights for Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic journey are taking place aboard an ITA Airways Airbus A320neo, one of thousands of Airbus planes affected by a computer issue, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News.
The flights for Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic journey are taking place aboard an ITA Airways Airbus A320neo, one of thousands of Airbus planes affected by a computer issue, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News.

The papal plane set to fly Pope Leo XIV from Turkey to Lebanon on Sunday is one of thousands of Airbus A320 aircraft affected by a computer issue.

Around 6,000 Airbus planes were grounded this weekend after it was discovered that intense solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight control computers, according to the BBC.

For most of the affected aircraft, the issue could be resolved with a software update, but around 900 planes, including the papal plane, needed onboard computers physically replaced.

According to Director of the Holy See Press Office Matteo Bruni, a plane arrived in Istanbul from Rome on Saturday with a technician and the replacement computer for Pope Leo’s ITA Airways A320neo. 

Leo is scheduled to take a two-hour flight from Istanbul to Beirut around midday on Nov. 30 for the second leg of his apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon.

A technician from Rome made the necessary intervention and Bruni informed the local media pool on the ground in Turkey, “They have finished the work on the airplane.”

Follow all EWTN News coverage of Pope Leo’s First Apostolic Trip here.

This CNA article has been updated and adapted by EWTN Vatican

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Hannah Brockhaus

Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency’s senior correspondent in Rome. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.

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