UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing

Newly-minted United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had a close call during a recent flight to Brussels, according to multiple reports. News agencies say the plane he was traveling in had to make an emergency landing not too far from London.

According to the Associated Press, Boris Johnson’s emergency landing occurred not long after he took off from a military base near London.

“The Foreign Office says the Royal Air Force plane carrying Johnson and officials took off from a base in London and landed at Luton Airport northwest of the city on Sunday.”

“The ministry said that Johnson ‘thanked the RAF crew for their professionalism and was grateful to Luton Airport for the brief, unscheduled welcome.”

“It said Johnson continued to Brussels by other means.”

What exactly does “other means” mean, exactly? British newspaper The Telegraph reports that the means of transport to Brussels is not exactly clear, though Londoners and budget travelers know Luton Airport serves multiple low-cost airlines, just as nearby London Stanstead Airport does. Whether or not “other means” means Boris Johnson’s emergency landing concluded with a flight on Easy Jet or a more expensive flight on British Airlines is unknown.

As for more on Boris Johnson’s emergency landing, The Telegraph says the flight took off from a nearby air force base and Johnson was on a military aircraft.

“The plane, described by the Ministry of Defence as a small military aircraft, had a ‘technical issue’ after it took off from RAF Northolt on Sunday afternoon and had to land at Luton Airport,” the news organization reported.

As for the impact Boris Johnson’s emergency landing had on his fellow travelers, it was not a good one. Boris Johnson’s emergency landing shut down air traffic at Luton Airport, meaning all travelers leaving the airport or arriving were delayed, according to The Guardian.

“Flights to and from the airport were grounded while emergency services dealt with the situation,” The Guardian reported.

The newspaper went on to report that this was Boris Johnson’s first foreign trip since being named as foreign secretary by new Prime Minister Theresa May.

The May selection of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary caught many off guard, as the former London mayor had been a leading advocate of Brexit – the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union – and is not known to have a solid track record in political relations with foreign governments.

Boris Johnson had himself been expected to be a strong candidate to be the next prime minister after his Brexit victory and the subsequent resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned to remain in the European Union. But CNN reports Johnson decided the job of prime minister was not right for him.

“Living up to his reputation as a political maverick, the former London mayor outlined the demands of the role over the course of a lengthy speech in London and then said: ‘Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that that person cannot be me.'”

As for his visit to the European Union’s home base, Boris Johnson’s emergency landing did not disrupt his trip too much, according to the BBC.

“The delay meant the newly-appointed Cabinet member was late for an informal dinner with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Sunday evening,” the government-owned broadcaster reported.

“James Robbins, the BBC‘s diplomatic correspondent, said although Brexit was not on the agenda ‘Mr Johnson’s fellow ministers are bound to be sizing up their nemesis.'”

“‘Today’s meetings are bound to be odd, when the man who compared the EU’s ambitions to create a super-state to those of Adolf Hitler, sits down with the 27 other ministers,’ he added.”

[Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images]