Donald Trump’s presidential helicopter, Marine One, made an emergency landing at Luton Airport on Thursday while carrying the U.S. President and first lady Melania Trump.
Officials confirmed that the helicopter experienced a hydraulic issue while flying to Stansted Airport from Chequers, where Trump had held a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
White House aides stated that the landing at Luton was made “out of an abundance of caution.”
Emergency vehicles and armed police were seen on the tarmac as the helicopter touched down.
Trump and the first lady were transferred to a support helicopter traveling in formation, which carried them to Stansted Airport, where Air Force One was waiting.
The delay pushed back the President’s schedule by approximately 20 minutes.
Both he and Mrs. Trump later boarded Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C.
Photographs from the scene showed Marine One and its backup, Marine Two, on the ground near the runway.
Additional images captured the presence of emergency responders at the airport.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement following the incident.
She confirmed that the pilots landed the helicopter due to a “minor hydraulic issue” and reiterated that the president and first lady safely transferred to the support aircraft before continuing the journey.
The Daily Mail reported that the president had been using Marine One throughout his two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, which included engagements with King Charles III and senior British officials.
During Thursday’s press conference at Chequers, Trump and Starmer addressed the migrant crisis in the English Channel, a topic the President described as “very similar” to America’s own border challenges.
Trump, highlighting his administration’s strict immigration enforcement policies, said he told the prime minister that the U.K. needed to take tougher action.
He emphasized the dangers of unchecked migration, citing examples from his time in office, including deportations of criminals and gang members.
He added: “I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the prime minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use. It destroys countries from within.”
Starmer insisted that his government was acting seriously on the Channel crossings, pointing to a new “one in, one out” deal under which the first migrant was returned to France earlier this week.
He admitted there was no “silver bullet” to solving the problem but defended the progress made.
The leaders also clashed over energy policy.
Trump urged Starmer to abandon the government’s Net Zero targets, telling him to “drill, baby, drill.”
He dismissed Britain’s investment in wind power as “a disaster” and “a very expensive joke.”
Trump further criticized Starmer’s anticipated recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing that it would not contribute to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
He also voiced frustration with Vladimir Putin, stating that the Russian leader had “really let me down” and suggested new sanctions may be forthcoming.
Amid these disagreements, both sides announced a technology deal that will bring £150 billion in investment to the U.K., though details about Britain’s concessions were not disclosed.
