Followed by bad luck: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has to turn around almost shortly before the destination on the way to Djibouti. The flight readiness was missing an important permit.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was once again slowed down on an important trip abroad by an organizational problem with the Bundeswehr’s readiness to fly – this time there was no overflight permit for Eritrea. For this reason, the Airbus A321LR aircraft with the Green politician and her delegation on board had to turn off at around 2 p.m. German time on Wednesday on the way from Berlin to Djibouti in East Africa. The flight captain announced that they would now land in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, refuel and then attempt to continue the flight.
The plane landed in Jeddah at around 2:15 p.m. Delegation circles said that due to an overflight permit for Eritrea that had not yet been granted due to the Bundeswehr’s readiness to fly, the trip to Djibouti was delayed by a refueling stop in Jeddah. It was initially unclear whether Baerbock would be able to continue the journey on Wednesday after refueling the plane. The question arose on site as to how long refueling would take and whether the crew’s working hours would still be sufficient to continue the flight to Djibouti.
The plane had previously circled over the Red Sea for more than an hour. “Despite all our efforts, we unfortunately did not receive clearance to fly over Eritrea,” said the flight captain. You therefore have to “bite the bullet” and move to Jeddah on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The delegation said that issuing an overflight permit was also difficult because there was a power outage in the Eritrean Foreign Ministry. Baerbock wanted to stick to her travel plans, it was said. The Federal Minister wanted to hold crisis talks in Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan by Friday against the backdrop of the bloody power struggle in Sudan.
Most recently, Baerbock had to cancel a long-planned trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in Abu Dhabi in mid-August – due to a defect in the landing flaps of the old government Airbus A340. A replacement machine from the Bundeswehr could not be organized at that time; it was returned by line. The two A340 aircraft that are suitable for long-haul flights have now been retired.
There was a technical glitch on Tuesday
Baerbock’s three-day trip, planned until Friday, had already begun with a technical breakdown on the originally planned aircraft. The planned “white” A319 aircraft was replaced by an A321LR aircraft on Tuesday afternoon due to engine failure, it was said. Bundeswehr soldiers are also flown to their foreign missions with this gray painted aircraft.
It is not unusual for overflight permits to only be issued during the course of the flight, it said. However, the Foreign Office was only informed in the morning, shortly before departure, that no such approval was available for the originally planned aircraft. It was then decided to rely on the corresponding approval being granted during the flight.
In view of, among other things, the attacks by the Iranian-backed militant Islamist Houthi militia from Yemen, flying around Eritrea was not possible at short notice, it said. Baerbock actually wanted to meet her counterpart Mahamud Ali Yussuf in Djibouti on Wednesday afternoon.
Discussions in Djibut on sea route security
In Djibouti, Baerbock’s talks should also focus on the security of sea routes in the Red Sea. The Bab al Manda Strait, which is only 27 kilometers wide and is one of the central arteries of the international trade system, runs between Djibouti and Yemen, said the Federal Foreign Minister before departure. “It is in our shared interest to ensure the safety of maritime shipping in this bottleneck of the global economy.” This Thursday Baerbock wanted to visit the port of Djibouti.
The Iranian-backed militant Islamist Houthi militia in Yemen wants to force an end to Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling ships, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7th. The USA and Great Britain recently attacked militia positions in Yemen with the support of other allies.
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