Catherine Colonna’s plane en route to Lebanon was forced to turn around due to a “breakdown”

Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna took off this Saturday morning from Villacoublay airport (Yvelines) to reach Lebanon amid growing tensions with Israel. But shortly before 10 a.m. (French time) over the Adriatic Sea, the Falcon had to turn around due to a “flight failure,” the department explained.

This breakdown is due to a technical problem, the Elysee Palace confirmed to Le Parisien.

Plane trajectory monitoring websites show the government plane landed again at Villacoublay airport this morning. And he won’t leave right away.

Visit to Lebanon postponed to Monday

The visit to Lebanon has actually been postponed until Monday, explains Le Parisien on the Quai d’Orsay. However, the same program must be saved. Catherine Colonna will begin her trip not with Lebanon, but with a visit to Israel on Sunday, which was already planned. And here the program should remain the same.

However, the ministry was unable to confirm whether the minister plans to leave for Israel this Saturday or Sunday morning.

In Beirut, Catherine Column was due to meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, head of parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally and likely Lebanese army chief General Joseph Aoun, a diplomatic source said on Friday. She was also scheduled to hold a briefing with the UNIFIL commander in the Lebanese capital.

The purpose of this trip is to “avoid regional conflict” while clashes occur on the border with Israel. The minister is also due to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.