King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium had an unforeseen trial on their state visit to Chile. Their journey was critically cut short by major aircraft issues, stranding them and their event. Thursday was the day the couple were scheduled to go home. A chain of administrative delays forced their return to be delayed by two full days.
In fact, the royal couple faced the most daunting leg of the trip, outbound. Technical issues left their departure delayed and their return trip cut short by a day. Their return flight was canceled due to damage to their aircraft. A tire problem required immediate repair.
After boarding the plane, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were forced to disembark. Even worse, they discovered their trip was cancelled at the pre-trip safety briefing. Consequently, they had to book a hotel near the airport for the night while they continued to wait for news on their eventual departure.
Wim Dehandschutter, a spokesman for the royal couple, suggested that such questions remain about their flight status. He stated, “Departure is at 4pm local time at the earliest (10pm in Belgium). If the repaired wheel is rejected, then it will be a 2nd extra night.”
The couple’s predicament was similar to one from early this year. In the midst of those meetings, Queen Mathilde was dealing with a rather nightmarish trip to Costa Rica. On that trip, her plane suffered a mid-flight windshield blowout. Due to this damage, the crew was forced to make an expedited landing as a priority.
Even as their stay in Chile became ever more prolonged, the royal couple kept in touch with their government’s officials to find a solution. Dehandschutter noted, “Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, who are stuck in #Chile after their state visit for 2 days, will soon be able to fly back to Belgium.”
Finally, after two days of uncertainty, the damaged front wheels of the aircraft were repaired, allowing for preparations for their return. As the couple weathered challenge after challenge, all while still incurring debt, they weren’t ready to give up. They were scheduled to depart at 4 p.m. local time, which would be 10 p.m. in Belgium.
