Donald Trump’s helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on the way to Stansted Airport, after the US President concluded his historic second state visit to the UK. Marine One, carrying Trump and First Lady Melania, diverted to Luton Airport while travelling from Chequers following a joint press conference with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the helicopter landed “out of an abundance of caution” due to a minor hydraulic issue. Emergency services were seen at Luton. The Trumps later safely boarded a support helicopter and arrived at Stansted around 20 minutes behind schedule. On Air Force One, Trump joked about his safe flight, saying: “Fly safely. You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight. I want to get home, otherwise I wouldn’t care.”
The incident was a rare hitch during a visit marked by unprecedented royal pomp, including a state banquet with a special “transatlantic cocktail” and a military ceremony where the Red Arrows flew over Windsor Castle and a marching band played Trump’s favourite song, Y.M.C.A. The Trumps were shown a letter from Abraham Lincoln to Queen Victoria and laid a wreath at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Beyond the pageantry, Trump and Sir Keir signed a tech deal to boost co-operation on AI, quantum and emerging technologies, with US firms committing £150 billion in UK investment. Microsoft pledged £22 billion to expand Britain’s AI infrastructure, Google committed £5 billion, and Nvidia agreed to deploy 120,000 advanced processors across the UK.
