Secretary of State Marco Rubio's travel plans were briefly disrupted when a mechanical issue occurred on the plane he was traveling on from Washington, D.C. to Munich, Germany. The incident led to the aircraft returning to Joint Base Andrews for necessary repairs.
The issue, related to the cockpit windshield of the C-32 aircraft, a converted Boeing 757, arose approximately 90 minutes after takeoff. Rubio, accompanied by a spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, was en route to the Munich Security Conference when the problem was detected.
Upon landing back at Joint Base Andrews just before 10 p.m. EST, Rubio made a swift decision to switch to a smaller aircraft to resume his journey to Germany. Despite the setback, Rubio expressed his intention to proceed with his travel plans to Germany and the Middle East.
Following his participation in the Munich Security Conference, Rubio is scheduled to visit several key countries in the Middle East, including Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This visit holds significant diplomatic importance, especially amidst the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas after months of conflict in Gaza.
While Rubio's delayed arrival in Munich may impact his scheduled meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Secretary of State remains committed to fulfilling his diplomatic engagements in the region.
