‘More than annoying’: German foreign minister abandons Oceania trip after plane problems

Annalena Baerbock was due to meet political leaders in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, return cultural artefacts to Indigenous people in Canberra and attend a Women’s World Cup match. Photograph: Michael Kappeler/AP

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been forced to abandon a trip to Oceania after a problem with her government plane twice forced it to return to Abu Dhabi.

Baerbock set off from Berlin on Sunday, but a mechanical problem with her ageing German air force Airbus A340’s landing flaps meant it had to turn back to Abu Dhabi after a refuelling stop there. The aircraft took off again on Monday night, but the technical problem resurfaced and the plane had to return to the Emirati capital again.