German government A350 returns from Missouri to Berlin on eve of pivotal state elections

Friedrich Merz / German Government Flight's Airbus A350-941, tail 10+01, was tracked departing Tan Tar A Resort Seaplane Base (19T) in Missouri at 21:05 UTC on September 18, arriving at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (EDDB) at 04:57 UTC on September 19 after a 7-hour 52-minute flight at a maximum altitude of 40,025 feet. The aircraft, one of three brand-new VIP-configured A350s in the Bundeswehr's Special Air Mission Wing fleet, had spent the previous days moving between locations in Germany and North America, including a stop near Montreal on September 17.

If Friedrich Merz / German Government Flight was aboard, the timing would suggest a return from a personal or unofficial visit to the United States just as the chancellor faces the most serious crisis of his tenure. The flight landed in Berlin the day before two critical state elections — in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin — where his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is expected to perform poorly, per reports from POLITICO and The Telegraph. Merz had already cancelled a planned trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, originally scheduled for September 22, citing the need to remain in Berlin to manage the domestic political fallout [politico.eu](https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-friedrich-merz-political-survival-fight-regional-elections/).

The decision to scrap the UN appearance — where Merz was to receive the Henry Kissinger Prize and address the General Assembly — underscores the severity of the pressure, as covered by CBS News and The Telegraph. Instead of flying to New York, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will represent Germany. Merz has convened a CDU leadership meeting on Sunday, September 20, just before polls close, to gauge support and attempt to steady his leadership after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to near-majority status in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month [telegraph.co.uk](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/15/german-chancellor-cancels-un-trip-political-pressure/). The return flight from a Missouri resort — an unusual departure point for a government aircraft — would, if Merz was aboard, mean he chose to spend the final days before the elections away from Berlin, only to rush back on the eve of the vote.