A routine late-evening departure from Frankfurt turned into an unusual diplomatic hiccup this week when a technical failure aboard a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 forced the cancellation of flight LH560 and left three European prime ministers unexpectedly stuck in Germany overnight.
The aircraft, scheduled to fly from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Luanda, Angola, was carrying Finland’s Petteri Orpo, Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, and Luxembourg’s Luc Frieden. All three were traveling to attend the EU–Africa Summit, a high-level gathering focused on political and economic cooperation between the European Union and the African Union.
According to Frankfurt New Press, the disruption stemmed from a malfunctioning passenger announcement system—seemingly minor equipment, but a mandatory safety component. The aircraft had already taxied toward the runway when the crew stopped the departure after discovering the system was not functioning. Repeated attempts to fix the problem extended well into the night.
By the time technicians determined the fault could not be resolved quickly, the aircraft had exceeded Frankfurt’s strict nighttime flight curfew, closing off the option of switching to another plane. Lufthansa ultimately canceled the service, pushing the trip to the following morning. FlightAware data later showed a delay of more than 13 hours.
Finland’s Orpo boarded the rescheduled flight and arrived in Luanda later that day. Frederiksen and Frieden, facing schedule conflicts and the extended delay, abandoned their travel plans and remained in Europe. As reported by Euractiv, Lufthansa spokesperson Boris Ogursky emphasized that “the airline prioritized flight safety above all else.”
Commercial airlines occasionally carry senior political figures, but it is uncommon for multiple heads of government to travel on the same scheduled service. Nevertheless, several European leaders opt for commercial flights as a cost-efficient alternative to maintaining and operating dedicated state aircraft. This incident underscored the logistical vulnerabilities that come with that approach.
Once in Luanda, Orpo used his participation in the summit to advance Finland’s role in the EU Finnfund guarantee program, which seeks to expand digital investment across African markets.
Summit Aims to Deepen EU–Africa Cooperation
The EU–Africa Summit—drawing top-level officials from across Europe—centered on strengthening political ties and economic partnerships under the theme of promoting peace and prosperity through “effective multilateralism.” Key attendees included European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Finland’s Petteri Orpo.
One of the central initiatives highlighted at the meeting was the EU’s Global Gateway Africa–Europe package, a 150-billion-euro investment framework targeting infrastructure development, renewable energy projects, and digital connectivity throughout the continent.
Migration policy also featured prominently on the agenda. Officials discussed strategies to address irregular migration, combat human trafficking, and improve cooperative border management efforts between Europe and Africa. Another major topic was the Africa–Europe Green Energy Initiative, designed to help deliver clean electricity to 100 million people by 2030 through renewable power and grid modernization.
Aging A340 Fleet Adds Pressure for Lufthansa
The disruption has renewed attention on Lufthansa’s aging A340 fleet. The Airbus A340-300s—now averaging more than 26 years old, according to Planespotters data—are the oldest wide-body aircraft still in service at the airline. While Lufthansa has substantial orders for next-generation Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, global supply-chain constraints have slowed delivery timelines.
As a result, the A340-300s continue to fill long-haul capacity gaps and are expected to remain in service until around 2028. The airline has also reactivated several A340-600s to increase first-class availability on key routes, a cabin type currently limited on its newest twin-engine jets. Some of those A340-600s are expected to remain operational through 2026, according to reporting from Simple Flying.
For Lufthansa, the delay serves as a reminder of the operational risks associated with flying older aircraft amid stretched fleet resources. For European leaders, the incident provided a rare moment of shared inconvenience—one that unfolded not in a negotiating chamber, but on an airport tarmac in Frankfurt.
