Davos 2024: Antony Blinken stranded after plane malfunction

Davos 2024: The incident occurred due to an oxygen leak, which left Blinken and his delegation temporarily grounded at Davos.

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Edited By: Satyam Singh
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ANI

Davos 2024: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's scheduled return from the World Economic Forum in Davos hit a snag on Wednesday after his Boeing 737 faced a critical malfunction, according to media reports. The incident occurred due to an oxygen leak, which left Blinken and his delegation temporarily grounded at Davos.

According to the reports, technicians were unable to resolve the leak which prompted safety concerns and grounding the aircraft. Reports also claimed that a smaller jet was diverted from Brussels to Zurich to ferry him back to Washington D.C. Meanwhile, some of his aides and members of the press corps will take commercial flights.

In a similar incident in September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced a mechanical fault with his plane after the G20 summit in New Delhi, leaving him temporarily stranded in India. 

Blinken addresses global conflicts at Davos

Prior to the aircraft issue, Blinken addressed Davos to raise various geopolitical concerns, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing war in Ukraine. He stressed the importance of a "pathway to a Palestinian state" for achieving genuine security for Israel. He also reiterated US concerns about Iran, labeling it the "biggest concern in terms of security" in the region, along with its proxies.

Blinken also reaffirmed US support for Ukraine, highlighting his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at Davos. When asked about a potential ceasefire, he acknowledged the Ukrainian people's yearning for an end to the conflict but emphasized the need for Russia's genuine engagement and respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Antony Blinken lauds India

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday lauded India's economic and infrastructure progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it an "extraordinary success story." However, he emphasized that the US-India relationship, while reaching "a new place at a new level," also includes "sustained and very real conversations" about democracy and human rights. lauded India's economic and infrastructure progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it an "extraordinary success story." However, he emphasized that the US-India relationship, while reaching "a new place at a new level," also includes "sustained and very real conversations" about democracy and human rights.