Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return to Washington from the World Economic Forum at Davis, Switzerland was delayed by a critical malfunction in his Boeing 737 business jet — the latest bad news for the troubled airplane manufacturer.
Blinken’s plane suffered from an oxygen leak that could not be mended, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.
By the time of the mechanical issue, first reported by Bloomberg, Blinken had already traveled from Davos to Zurich, the first leg of his journey back to Washington, department spokesperson Mathew Miller explained during a press conference.
Due to the military-operated aircraft’s defect, Blinken was forced to wait for a substitute jet to fly in from Brussels to shuttle him home.
Meanwhile, the secretary’s staff and press pool were set to be ferried back to Washington via commercial planes.
Officials flagged the oxygen leak previously but were unable to fix the problem in time.
Prior to joining the Biden administration, Blinken worked as a consultant for Boeing.
Antony Blinken is the top diplomat in the US. AP
Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he boards the plane on his way out of Cairo on Jan. 11. POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBlinken’s jet, also known as C-40, is an older version of the Boeing 737 and distinct from the 737 MAX 9 fleet of planes that were grounded indefinitely last week after a cabin panel flew off an Alaska Airlines flight Jan. 5.
On Jan. 12, the FAA said 40 aircraft needed to be re-inspected and the results needed to be reviewed to ensure the Max 9s are safe to fly again.
Blinken’s original ride home has been in operation since at least 2003, according to the Air Force.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
