Blinken briefly stranded in Davos after his plane experienced a 'critical failure'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for the plenary session at the Congress Hall during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefly stranded in Davos on Wednesday after his plane experienced a "critical failure" related to an oxygen leak and another plane is being flown to Switzerland to pick him up, according to a member of his travelling press pool.

The top U.S. diplomat had travelled to Davos for the annual World Economic Forum on Monday and was scheduled to fly back to Washington on Wednesday.

A Bloomberg report said the aircraft was a Boeing plane.

Reuters could not immediately confirm what aircraft Blinken was using on this trip.

Blinken had taken a helicopter from Davos to Zurich, where he boarded his plane but was then informed that the plane was not able to fly him back.

Members of the press travelling with him and his aides were told to make arrangements to fly back to Washington commercially.