{"id":25460936,"date":"2026-09-29T10:03:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/pope-leo-xiv-rafale-escort-air-france-a321-lourdes-metz-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T22:22:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T20:22:36","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-rafale-escort-air-france-a321-lourdes-metz-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/pope-leo-xiv-rafale-escort-air-france-a321-lourdes-metz-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV Blesses Rafale Pilots Escorting His Air France A321"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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On Monday morning, 28 September, the passenger in the Air France A321 from Lourdes to Metz got the cockpit, a radio microphone, and two <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/rafale\/\">Rafales<\/a> flying about 50 metres off the nose.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Pope Leo XIV was on the last leg of his four-day apostolic visit to France. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/french-air-and-space-force\/\">French Air and Space Force<\/a> sent a pair of Rafale fighters to escort his aircraft, and the Pope spent the whole cruise up front with the crew. Before the flight was over, he had spoken to the fighter pilots by radio and blessed them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6fa;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.75\"><li><strong>Date:<\/strong> Monday 28 September 2026<\/li><li><strong>Route:<\/strong> Lourdes to Metz-Nancy-Lorraine, final leg of Pope Leo XIV's visit to France<\/li><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Air France Airbus A321 in Vatican colours, one of three used for the papal state flights<\/li><li><strong>Escort:<\/strong> Two Rafales of the French Air and Space Force<\/li><li><strong>Distance:<\/strong> About 50 metres from the airliner, within standard escort procedures, according to the co-pilot<\/li><li><strong>In the cockpit:<\/strong> More than half an hour, the entire cruise phase<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">An Escort in Vatican Colours<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Air France flew the Pope on this trip. On 27 September the airline said it was operating three state flights for Pope Leo XIV, all on Airbus A321s in Vatican colours. The one leaving Lourdes on Monday morning picked up company on the way to Metz.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2104484521844371648&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:640px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Air France called it an exceptional and friendly escort by the French Air Force, to honour the papal delegation's presence in French airspace. According to the aircraft's co-pilot, the two Rafales came as close as 50 metres, within standard escort and interception procedures. For fighter pilots, that is a routine distance. For the passengers, it made for a spectacular view.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Pope in the Cockpit<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The more unusual part of the flight happened on the other side of the cockpit door. The co-pilot told AFP that the Pope came forward for the entire cruise between Lourdes and Metz, and spent more than half an hour asking the crew about the aircraft's systems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;He is passionate about aviation, cars and mechanics in general.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Co-pilot of the papal Air France flight<\/strong> &mdash; speaking to AFP, 28 September 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/pope-leo-xiv-air-france-a321-cockpit-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV in the cockpit of the Air France A321 with the flight crew\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Pope Leo XIV in the cockpit of the Air France A321 during the flight from Lourdes to Metz. Photo: Air France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Then the crew offered him the radio. \"We handed the microphone to the Holy Father, who spoke to the Rafale pilots,\" the co-pilot told AFP. According to his account, the Pope blessed the fighter crews and all the military personnel who defend people and peace.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The cabin crew had their moment too. Flight attendant Landee Van Keeken told AFP that after all the meticulous planning that went into the flight, receiving a blessing from the Pope in person was a unique moment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Fighters Escort VIP Jets<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Escorting a head of state or a major visiting dignitary is a standard job for air defence fighters, and France does it regularly for presidential and state flights. The Rafales can identify, shadow and, if necessary, intervene against anything that approaches the aircraft they are protecting. On a peaceful Monday morning over France, the job was mostly ceremonial.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>It was still a first for the crews involved: a blessing delivered over the radio, from the cockpit of an airliner, to two fighter pilots flying alongside.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8WUcpYU6yyo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">Footage of the Rafale escort alongside the papal A321, via Diario AS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Air France on X, AFP, franceinfo, L'Express \/ 6M\u00e9dias, mesinfos, Diario AS. Featured image: Air France<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why did Rafale jets escort Pope Leo XIV's plane?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Two French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters escorted Pope Leo XIV's Air France Airbus A321 from Lourdes to Metz on 28 September 2026. Air France described it as an exceptional escort to honour the papal delegation's presence in French airspace. Escorts of this kind are standard for heads of state.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How close did the Rafales fly to the Pope's plane?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">According to the co-pilot of the Air France A321, the two Rafales came to about 50 metres from the airliner, within standard escort and interception procedures.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did Pope Leo XIV talk to the Rafale pilots?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The Air France crew handed Pope Leo XIV the radio microphone during the flight from Lourdes to Metz, and he spoke to the Rafale pilots and blessed them, according to the co-pilot's account to AFP.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What aircraft did Pope Leo XIV fly in France?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Air France flew Pope Leo XIV on three state flights during his September 2026 visit to France, all operated by Airbus A321 aircraft in Vatican colours.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Is Pope Leo XIV interested in aviation?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">According to the Air France co-pilot, Pope Leo XIV is passionate about aviation, cars and mechanics. He spent the whole cruise of the Lourdes to Metz flight in the cockpit, more than half an hour, asking the crew about the aircraft's systems.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did Rafale jets escort Pope Leo XIV's plane?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Two French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters escorted Pope Leo XIV's Air France Airbus A321 from Lourdes to Metz on 28 September 2026. Air France described it as an exceptional escort to honour the papal delegation's presence in French airspace. 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He spent the whole cruise of the Lourdes to Metz flight in the cockpit, more than half an hour, asking the crew about the aircraft's systems.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/norad-chicago-intercepts-f-16-flares-tfr-presidents-cup-2026\/\">NORAD Chicago Intercepts: F-16s Flare Planes During Trump Visit<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/dassault-rafale-ai-cockpit-algorithms-flight-test-2026\/\">Rafale Flies With AI: Dassault Tests Two Cockpit Algorithms<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/air-force-one-decoy-embarrassing-or-smart\/\">Was the Air Force One Decoy Embarrassing?<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two French Rafales escorted Pope Leo XIV&#8217;s Air France A321 from Lourdes to Metz. The Pope sat in the cockpit and blessed the fighter pilots by radio.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":25460600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[676],"class_list":["post-25460936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news","tag-priority-2"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pope Leo XIV Blesses His Rafale Escort | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Two French Rafales escorted Pope Leo XIV&#039;s Air France A321 from Lourdes to Metz. 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