It would be ideal for the secretary of State to enjoy reliable transportation during a period in which two American allies are fighting wars. Unfortunately for Secretary Antony Blinken, he gets around on a plane made by Boeing.
On Wednesday, CNN reported that Blinken had to drive from Paris to Brussels rather than take the quick flight because of a “mechanical issue” with a Boeing 737 used by the State Department. Blinken, who was in Paris to meet with President Emmanuel Macron and France’s foreign minister, was due in Belgium to meet with other NATO foreign ministers. It is unclear whether the four-hour drive would make him late.
The plane malfunction comes three months after Blinken was stranded by a Boeing 737 at Davos in January. Bloomberg reported at the time that the modified jet he had flown in on was deemed unsafe to fly after the discovery of an oxygen leak.
Travel troubles for the jet-setting secretary are not a disaster, but they’re just the latest sore spot for Boeing, which has long been excoriated for cutting corners with deadly consequences and failing to deliver reliable planes on time. In March, weeks after the fuselage ripped open on an Alaska Airlines flight, Boeing’s CEO announced he would resign by the end of the year.
Still, an unexpected drive across northern France in the springtime may be a nice little break for the secretary, who is managing America’s commitment to Israel, which recently killed several foreign aid workers and continues to draw international condemnation as it seeks to eradicate Hamas after the October 7 attack.
