Brazil’s Lula lands safe in Mexico after plane circles for hours

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gives a thumbs up upon arrival at the inauguration ceremony of Mexico’s President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum at the Congress of the Union in Mexico City on October 1, 2024. Agence France-Presse

ZUMPANGO, Mexico — An airplane carrying Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva back to Brasilia has landed safely at the Felipe Angeles airport, north of Mexico City, after circling for hours due to a technical problem, Brazil’s press secretary said Tuesday.

The aircraft, an Airbus A319, had departed Tuesday afternoon following the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, but experienced a technical problem after leaving Mexico City. The Brazilian air force said in a statement that the aircraft had to consume enough fuel to allow it to land again safely. It landed almost five hours after it took off.

Lula planned to board another plane to return to Brasilia.

READ: Brazil, Nicaragua expel each others’ ambassadors

The Brazilian air force said in its statement that “security procedures for the problem” were performed successfully, but pilots must “wait for the necessary fuel consumption so the airplane returns to the same airport it took off from.”

On Tuesday morning, Lula attended the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. He arrived in Mexico on Sunday and had a meeting with former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The plane had been circling the Felipe Angeles airport for almost five hours. The commercial airport was built on a military base by López Obrador after he canceled the larger partially-built airport closer to the city. Foreign dignitaries, including U.S. first lady Jill Biden, had flown into the airport to attend Sheinbaum’s inauguration.

READ: Venezuela takes diplomatic jab at Brazil in spat over election

Brazilian media reported that members of Lula’s staff in the plane believe a bird strike may be behind the technical problem. Two of the staffers on board were reached by The Associated Press, but did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aviation experts have said about similar incidents that the protocol for landing after a bird strike requires pilots to fly close to an airport as they get rid of fuel.

In January, an airplane carrying Lula’s security team was not able to take off as it encountered a technical problem during a trip to the northeastern Brazilian state of Paraiba. Brazil’s presidency said after the incident that the staffers were never at risk.