Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are unexpectedly stuck thousands of miles from home after a second mechanical failure grounded their government-chartered jet — capping off a bumpy state visit to Chile that’s been marred by delays from the start.
The royal couple was supposed to wrap their South American trip on June 26 with a 5 p.m. flight out of Antofagasta Airport. But shortly before takeoff, the Airbus A340-300 — leased from Portuguese carrier Hi Fly — reportedly suffered a tire failure while being towed to the runway.
Sources say the cabin began to shake just as flight attendants started safety instructions. Then, everything stopped.
“The plane never even left the ground,” royal correspondent Wim Dehandschutter posted on X. “Over 16 hours later, the tire still hasn’t been cleared for flight.”
Philippe, 65, and Mathilde, 52, had been the last to board before the incident halted the mission. The Belgian delegation, including several top ministers, was forced to disembark and return to their hotel in Chile while engineers scrambled to assess the damage.
It’s not the first time the royals ran into plane trouble this week. Their entire visit got off to a late start after the same model of aircraft malfunctioned in Belgium on June 22. The original flight was supposed to depart from a military base in Melsbroek, but a mechanical fault delayed them by a full day. The couple didn’t land in Chile until Monday morning, June 23.
“We had to compress the entire state agenda into fewer days,” said a Belgian diplomat, speaking anonymously due to protocol. “Now we’re stuck extending the trip again — just in reverse.”
Despite the chaos in the skies, the royal couple maintained a tight schedule while on the ground. They met with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, toured scientific research centers, and participated in roundtable discussions on sustainability and trade. The trip was part of Belgium’s broader push to deepen economic and political ties with Latin America.
“We value our shared democratic principles,” King Philippe said during a press event in Santiago. “Chile is an essential partner in today’s shifting global landscape.”
But any diplomatic momentum was overshadowed by Thursday’s travel fiasco. According to Belgian outlet HLN, the aircraft remained grounded well into Friday with no guarantee of immediate departure. Engineers were reportedly awaiting clearance to test the replaced tire — and possibly assess further damage.
The aircraft in question, the Airbus A340-300, is a long-range, four-engine wide-body jet that’s largely been phased out by most airlines due to maintenance demands and high fuel consumption. Hi Fly operates a limited fleet of the aging aircraft for government and charter use.
“Whoever booked this plane needs to be held accountable,” one frustrated source in the delegation told local media. “It’s been problem after problem.”
As of Friday afternoon, there was still no official word on when the royals might finally make it back to Brussels.
This isn’t the first time Europe’s royal travel has run into turbulence. In 2019, King Philippe’s plane was forced to turn around mid-flight due to cabin pressure issues. And in 2021, Queen Mathilde was stranded in Warsaw after her plane failed to clear weather delays.
For now, the King and Queen remain grounded — and possibly reconsidering future travel plans.
“Maybe it’s time to invest in a new royal jet,” one Belgian commentator joked on social media. “Or at least one that can take off.”
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