Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter made an emergency landing at a UK airport today with the US President and his wife Melania on board.

The President’s helicopter experienced a ‘hydraulic issue’ during its flight to Stansted Airport, departing from Chequers, the Prime Minister’s estate, where Donald Trump had a meeting and held a joint press conference with Sir Keir Starmer.

Officials said the aircraft put down at Luton Airport ‘out of an abundance of caution’.

During his notable second state visit to the UK, the US President switched to a backup helicopter traveling alongside them and continued his journey to join Air Force One at Stansted Airport.

No one was injured in the drama and the President arrived at the airport 20 minutes behind schedule.

The couple then boarded Air Force One for their return journey back to the White House. 

Photos from the scene show emergency vehicles and armed police on the tarmac at Luton Airport. 

Separate images show both of Mr Trump’s helicopters, known as Marine One and Marine Two, just off the runway. 

Helicopters, known as Marine One and Marine Two, carrying President Donald Trump, are pictured at Luton Airport after reportedly making an emergency landing with the President on board.

President Trump’s helicopter was compelled to perform an emergency landing with both him and Melania Trump onboard. He was seen at Stansted Airport earlier today.

Emergency services are seen at Luton Airport following the landing 

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, issued a statement noting, ‘Due to a minor hydraulic issue, the pilots opted for a precautionary landing at a nearby airfield before proceeding to Stansted Airport.’

‘The President and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter.

‘The President and first lady were later able to board Air Force One for the return journey from the UK.’

Mr Trump has been using his helicopter Marine One to travel between different locations on his historic visit to the UK.

The trip has seen King Charles III and the US President both hail the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries.

And today Mr Trump met Mr Starmer for a joint press conference at Chequers where they discussed the small boats crisis.

The President, known for stringent border policies that significantly reduced illegal migration, commented that the UK faces a ‘similar’ problem in the Channel and needs to implement stricter measures.

Mr Trump also hailed the ‘incredible bond’ between Britain and the US – and spoke at length about his love for ‘these beautiful isles’.

But he warned that Britain cannot afford to carry with its softly-softly approach to the Channel crisis and disagreed with his host’s stance on a number of issues.

Mr Trump said huge numbers of foreign criminals, gangsters and mental patients had been entering the US illegally until he took drastic action, including deporting some to hellhole jails in El Salvador.

One of Mr Trump’s helicopters is seen at Luton Airport following the incident 

Donald Trump arrives by helicopter at Chequers, the country home of the British prime minister, on September 18

The President, whose mother was born in Scotland, added: ‘I think your situation is very similar. You have people coming in and I told the Prime Minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use.

‘It destroys countries from within.’

Sir Keir insisted that Labour was taking the Channel crisis seriously. 

He said there was no ‘silver bullet’ but trumpeted the fact the first migrant was finally sent back to France on Thursday under a new ‘one in, one out’ deal following more than 30,000 arrivals this year.

But he also faced barbs from Mr Trump over Gaza, Net Zero and North Sea oil.

During a 45-minute press conference at the PM’s country retreat:

• Mr Trump told Sir Keir to scale back Labour’s controversial Net Zero target and ‘drill, baby, drill’.
• The President dismissed the UK’s focus on wind farms as ‘a disaster’ and a ‘very expensive joke’.
• Sir Keir squirmed when asked about Lord Mandelson, while the US President denied ever knowing the disgraced former US ambassador, despite welcoming him into the White House just nine days earlier.
• Mr Trump publicly criticised Sir Keir’s impending decision to recognise a Palestine state, suggesting it would not help release Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
• He also said Vladimir Putin had ‘really let me down’ as he hinted at fresh sanctions to force the Russian tyrant to the negotiating table.
• The two leaders signed a technology deal which will bring £150 billion investment to the UK – but gave no details of the concessions Britain has offered in return.
• Mr Trump revealed the US is trying to take the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan to bring Chinese nuclear facilities within bombing range.

Several police cars are seen at Luton Airport after Mr Trump’s helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing

A helicopter believed to be carrying US President Donald Trump is seen departing from Windsor Castle hours before the emergency landing

Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump walk across the tarmac from the Marine One helicopter toward Air Force One at Stansted Airport

Thursday’s press conference in the historic Great Hall at Chequers came at the end of a two-day state visit that saw Mr Trump lavished with pomp and ceremony, including a glittering state dinner at Windsor Castle.

Downing Street had been fretting for days that the event would be overshadowed by the controversy over Sir Keir’s decision to sack Lord Mandelson over his friendship with notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

With President Trump also facing questions back home about his own past links to Epstein, the issue had the potential to create a diplomatic disaster.

When the issue of Lord Mandelson was raised, in the last question of the press conference, both men appeared desperate to move on as quickly as possible.

The President outlandishly claimed: ‘I don’t know him actually. ‘I had heard that,’ he added, ‘and I think maybe the Prime Minister would be better speaking of that. It was a choice that he made and I don’t know.’

Speaking directly to Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: ‘What is your answer to that?

The PM replied: ‘It’s very straightforward. Some information came to light last week which wasn’t available when he was appointed, and I made a decision about it, and that’s very clear.’