Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) had to interrupt his trip to Chile late on Sunday evening. Because there were bird strikes after the departure in Leipzig, the machine had to land in Cologne, as a spokeswoman for the State Chancellery said early Monday morning. Ramelow was on his way to the South American country at the end of his one-year presidency of the Federal Council. On Twitter he said: “Bird strike on the Airbus A350 of the German Air Mission Forced break in Cologne.”
The plane landed there around 11:30 p.m., the spokeswoman said. “The current status is that we are staying overnight in Cologne and at the same time the plane is being checked for possible damage.” The onward flight is scheduled for Monday. The bird strike came soon after the start in Leipzig. “The Bundeswehr’s flight readiness department at Cologne/Bonn Airport reacted at lightning speed and is already in the process of assessing the damage,” the State Chancellery tweeted. In Ramelow’s tweet it says: “The Kurt Schumacher will be thoroughly examined and hopefully made fit for the onward flight for tomorrow. Safety first!”
Strengthen political exchange
In addition to political appointments, company visits and business talks are also planned for the trip until October 15, as announced by the State Chancellery in Erfurt. The first stop is the city of Antofagasta, after which the delegation travels to the capital, Santiago de Chile. Ramelow’s talks with representatives of the Senate, among others, were on the agenda there, it said.
During his tenure as President of the Chamber of States, Ramelow has made several trips since autumn 2021 – destinations were Poland, Belgium and Romania. With the trip, he wants to help “reinforce the political exchange between Chile and Germany,” said Ramelow. As prime minister in Chile, he also wants to promote Thuringia as a business location and try to open doors for companies in the country.
At the beginning of November, the Presidency of the Federal Council will go to Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD). The symbolic handing over of the baton took place at the central celebration of the Day of German Unity, which was hosted by Thuringia’s state capital Erfurt this year. The presidency of the regional chamber changes annually between the prime ministers. The order is regulated in an agreement from 1950.
