Pope Leo XIV spent part of his flight to Barcelona in an unusual seat: in the cockpit. Invited forward by the captain, the Pontiff witnessed the takeoff alongside the crew and watched as a Spanish Air Force F-18, flown by the squadron leader of the 15th Wing’s 151 Squadron in Zaragoza, pulled close to salute the papal aircraft, as read in an article published by COPE.
Far from a passive observer, the Pope — whose academic background lies in science and mathematics — asked detailed questions about the approach procedure and the areas the plane would overfly, closely following the pilots’ explanations. During the descent he was also able to see the Sagrada Família from the air.
For pilot Pablo Martínez Núñez, a 26-year veteran of Iberia, the 55-minute journey stood apart from everything in his career; he called it “the most special flight to date.” The emotion extended to the whole crew, who greeted the Pope and posed for photographs — one flight attendant told him that accompanying him was a lifelong dream.
Before disembarking, Leo XIV dedicated and signed family photos belonging to the captain, his co-pilot Ángeles Hernández González, and the F-18 pilot.
For her part, Hernández González described it as an unforgettable experience. She is a committed Catholic in her home diocese and has participated in World Youth Day. The Spanish COPE news agency noted that flying beside the Pope thus brought together her professional life and her deep devotion to the Church.
The flight was part of an apostolic journey that is taking the Pope across the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands, with separate crews handling the onward and return legs while Martínez Núñez and his team refueled for the trip back to Madrid.
