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A Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to serve as Donald Trump’s presidential aircraft was briefly delayed on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday after an emergency inflatable slide was accidentally deployed before takeoff.
Trump was not aboard the aircraft when the incident happened as he prepared to travel to Dallas, Texas.
Speaking with reporters at the base, the US president said inspectors were checking one of the plane’s emergency evacuation slides.
“They’re checking the slide over here, and I think it’s going to take 15 minutes,” Trump said.
A person briefed on the situation later told AFP that members of the US Air Force, which operates the aircraft used as Air Force One when the president is aboard, “accidentally triggered the slide.”
The incident added to existing questions about the safety and readiness of the Qatari aircraft, which Trump has been using temporarily while waiting for new presidential jets from Boeing.
Trump defended the aircraft when an AFP reporter asked whether he was confident it was safe.
“Yeah I am, or I wouldn’t be on it,” the 80-year-old president responded.
Upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews, Trump remained aboard his helicopter for an extended period before eventually boarding the aircraft. The delay allowed reporters to observe the deployed inflatable slide on the right side of the jet, while the older Air Force One aircraft was moved from its hangar with boarding bridges attached.
The aircraft later departed for Texas, where Trump was scheduled to address a Republican convention as part of efforts to rally party supporters before the November midterm elections.
The Qatari Boeing 747 attracted attention earlier in the year after Trump avoided travelling on it during a trip from a NATO summit in Turkey following reported security concerns. He instead switched to another aircraft in a move he did not publicly announce at the time.
Trump has said additional security modifications on the donated aircraft will begin in October and may take longer than expected.
The luxury jet, valued at several hundred million dollars, was donated by Qatar’s royal family last year after Trump criticised the condition of the existing Air Force One aircraft, which have been in service since 1990.
The gift has faced scrutiny over ethical and constitutional questions surrounding foreign government gifts to a sitting US president. The aircraft has since undergone military modifications and is expected to remain in use until Boeing delivers two new presidential aircraft in the coming years.
Trump has also said he plans to preserve the Qatari aircraft for display at his future presidential museum after leaving office.
