US Secretary of State Antony Blinken could not depart Davos, where the World Economic Forum was held, on the planned flight due to a critical malfunction in his aircraft, according to Bloomberg.
As described in the source material, Blinken and his escort traveled from Davos by helicopter and then transitioned to a Boeing 737, but the board proved unsafe for takeoff when an oxygen leak was detected before the flight.
A smaller aircraft was subsequently dispatched from Brussels and ultimately flew to the United States with the Secretary of State. Bloomberg notes that the escort had to travel on commercial flights.
Earlier reports indicated that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s trip to the Pacific region was disrupted by technical issues in her aircraft. The plane carrying the head of the German Foreign Ministry and her delegation had to burn fuel and return after refueling in Abu Dhabi. Shortly after departure, the captain advised passengers about problems with flap retraction.
Previously, the Latvian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office showed interest in the flights conducted by the country’s former prime minister on his private aircraft.