Top US diplomat Antony Blinken found himself stranded in Davos, Switzerland after his Boeing 737 business jet experienced a critical mechanical issue that rendered it unsafe to fly due to an oxygen leak that couldn’t be immediately fixed, reports Bloomberg. A smaller jet from Brussels was dispatched to take him home while his aides and traveling press members took commercial flights instead.
The Aircraft’s Oxygen Leak
On Wednesday, Blinken was forced to switch planes while travelling from Davos to Zurich due to an aircraft malfunction. When boarding his government-owned Boeing 737 business jet, he was informed of an oxygen leak which rendered flying unsafe and forced him to find alternative transportation methods.
The Air Force confirmed to POLITICO that this plane belongs to their Joint Base Andrews fleet, and did not involve the recent series of safety concerns associated with the Boeing 737 MAX jets. They claim it’s actually an older Boeing C-40 version maintained by their Naval Reserve division – something POLITICO was told before flying this Blinken aircraft from Joint Base Andrews.
Blinken’s meeting schedule wasn’t interrupted by the oxygen shortage and eventually flew back to Washington–though several hours later than planned. Boeing has had to deal with significant negative publicity since one of their newer 737 model door plugs blew out midair on an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this month, prompting immediate recall procedures to be implemented on that aircraft model.
The Aircraft’s Failure
Antony Blinken’s aircraft that was to carry him back from Davos was forced to land at Zurich due to technical difficulties, forcing a smaller plane with him and his group back via commercial flights; many members of his traveling press pool were also forced to make this alternative travel arrangement.
Boeing was dealt a blow following Alaska Airlines flight 253, where an emergency landing had to be made after a door plug came loose during flight and caused it to make an emergency landing on Jan 5 due to door plug failure, prompting FAA action by grounding all Boeing 737 Max jets until they can be assessed for safety by inspectors.
Boeing’s issues with the C-40 weren’t directly tied to 737 issues that led to its grounding; nevertheless, they present yet another public relations headache for a manufacturer that has endured three catastrophic crashes of its 737 Max jets between 2018 and 2019 that killed hundreds of people.
The Aircraft’s Repair
After arriving in Zurich via helicopter and boarding their aircraft, Blinken and his team were informed of its inadequacy due to an oxygen leak they previously discovered which couldn’t be fixed. A smaller plane, known as a Boeing C-40 – a modified Boeing 737 business jet operated by US military for use as political transport aircraft – was then chartered. Unfortunately, similar models of Boeing C-40 planes had also been involved in two fatal crashes last year: Indonesian and Ethiopian, killing hundreds.
Boeing has been placed under intense scrutiny after the door plug of one of their 737 Max jets blew out midflight earlier this month, creating a massive hole in its fuselage and leaving passengers exposed. Following this incident with Alaska Airlines, all 737 Max planes have been grounded while safety inspections take place; Boeing stock has fallen 19% since this event with $30 billion being taken off their market value value.
The Aircraft’s Return
Antony Blinken’s return trip home was put off due to an aircraft malfunction that delayed him. Antony had to change planes in Zurich after his modified Boeing C-40, a military version of 737 aircraft, experienced what traveling media was told was an oxygen leakage issue and suffered critical failure as reported.
Blinken chartered a private plane for his meetings; traveling press were instructed to arrange their own commercial flight arrangements into Washington. While this resulted in an hours-long delay, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller claims it did not disrupt any of Blinken’s scheduled meetings.
Boeing has suffered immensely over the past year due to issues surrounding its 737 Max model aircraft. Two crashes involving this plane in 2018 and early 2019 killed 346 people and led Boeing to ground the aircraft for over 20 months so they could address a design flaw in its design.
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