Donald Trump’s departure for the Republican midterm convention in Dallas was delayed at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday after an emergency slide deployed from the new Air Force One.
The president remained aboard Marine One after the helicopter landed, while engineers carried out checks on the inflatable slide at the aircraft’s front right-hand door.
“They were doing a check on the slide. I think it takes 15 minutes,” Mr Trump told reporters after leaving the helicopter. He added that the system had been inspected before the flight because officials wanted to ensure “everything works perfectly”.
As Marine One came to a halt, the older blue-and-white presidential aircraft was brought out of its hangar and positioned behind the replacement jet. Its front and rear stairs were lowered while the new aircraft was prepared for boarding.
The slide then appeared to inflate from the door on the right-hand side of the plane, opposite the entrance normally used by the president. Mr Trump spoke to reporters for several minutes as the issue was dealt with before boarding the aircraft.
The White House did not immediately provide a detailed explanation for the deployment or say whether it had been accidental.
The aircraft, a former Qatari-owned Boeing 747 converted for presidential use, was unveiled by Mr Trump at Joint Base Andrews in June. The Associated Press reported at the time that the jet had been transformed into an interim presidential aircraft while the existing Air Force One fleet remains in service.
The incident comes after the president was moved off the new aircraft during his return from Turkey in July. The Associated Press reported that Mr Trump was transferred to another plane on the advice of the Secret Service and military officials, amid concerns about a potential threat, while other senior officials remained on the original aircraft.
Mr Trump was due to travel to Dallas for the two-day Republican convention, where he is scheduled to address delegates as the party seeks to build momentum ahead of the midterm elections.
