Europe Asia News

Donald and Melania Trump were aboard Marine One on Thursday evening. The pilots diverted the aircraft to a local airport due to what officials described as an “abundance of caution.” The helicopter had departed from Chequers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s country residence, and was headed to Stansted, where Air Force One was waiting to return them to the United States.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pilots landed after detecting the issue and immediately transferred the couple to a backup helicopter. The spare aircraft completed the short flight to Stansted without incident.

The White House emphasized that no one was injured and the landing was precautionary. Trump and his wife safely boarded Air Force One and departed about 20 minutes behind schedule.

The sudden landing briefly delayed the president’s departure and drew attention at the close of the tightly scheduled state visit. Officials initially offered no detailed explanation for the delay, leaving journalists and onlookers questioning why Trump’s motorcade had not arrived in Stansted as planned.

It remains unclear exactly where the helicopter landed, though the White House confirmed it was a “local airport” near Stansted. The Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Secret Service did not immediately respond to requests for further information.