Germany is in the process of phasing out its Burbucks after a series of malfunctions

After the collapse of the government plane of Foreign Minister Annalina Berbock, the German military put two planes out of service early. In the future, instead of the A340-type aircraft, the latest A350s will be used on long-haul routes, an Air Force spokesperson announced today.

Burbock had to cut short her Pacific voyage due to en route defects and returned to Germany on a scheduled flight.

Same defect twice

The same defect occurred twice on the A340 in two days. After takeoff in Abu Dhabi, where the machine was refueled for the long flight to Australia, the landing flaps could not be retracted.

Burbock initially considered flying to Sydney on a scheduled flight and undertaking at least part of her appointments. However, she later wrote on Twitter (X): “We’ve tried everything: unfortunately, it’s logistically impossible to continue my Indo-Pacific voyage without the broken plane. It’s more than an inconvenience.”

Decommissioning is not planned until the end of 2024

The Bundeswehr’s flight readiness service has two A340s bought second-hand from Lufthansa in 2011. One of them was actually supposed to be scrapped in September, the Burbuck at the end of 2024. Now the Bundeswehr prefers it.