Not a Private Jet, This is the Airbus A330-900 That Brought Pope Francis to Indonesia

JAKARTA – Pope Francis, Head of the Holy See of the Vatican, will visit Indonesia on September 3-6, 2024. Interestingly, the Pope did not use a private jet for his trip, but instead chose a commercial plane from an Italian airline.

Pope Francis flew directly from Rome, Italy, to Indonesia using an Airbus A330-900 EI-HJS operated by ITA Airways, the national airline of Italy. This commercial aircraft was chosen not only for comfort, but also to reflect the humility of the Pope who is known to dislike excessive luxury.

“Pope Francis’ choice to use a commercial plane rather than a private jet shows his humble and simple attitude,” said Anthonius Gregorius, Deputy Media Coordinator for the Committee for the Visit of Holy Father Francis when contacted by SINDOnews, Tuesday (3/9/2024).

The Airbus A330-900 used by Pope Francis has a capacity of 291 passengers, with a configuration of 30 seats in business class, 24 seats in premium economy class, and 237 seats in economy class.

The aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-72 engine that allows a maximum speed of up to 918 km/h and a range of up to 13,334 kilometers in a single flight.

Pope Francis’ arrival in Indonesia is scheduled to land at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang. The visit aims to promote religious diversity in Indonesia, a move in line with the Pope’s vision to create peace and harmony in the world.

Interestingly, there are reports that after his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis may continue his journey with national airline Garuda Indonesia, using a Boeing 737 or A330 aircraft. However, further details regarding the next flight are still unconfirmed.

Pope Francis’ journey by commercial aircraft further strengthens his image as a humble leader who is close to his people throughout the world.

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