Yesterday, Air Force One landed in the United Kingdom carrying US President Joe Biden. The flight came at the start of the President's first international trip as part of the G7 summit due to be held in Cornwall this weekend.The call sign Air Force One is used for any US Air Force aircraft carrying the United States President. However, it has become synonymous with the two modified Boeing 747s typically used to transport the president. Given that US Presidential trips to the UK are sporadic, the aircraft is a rare visitor at UK airports, generating a buzz any time it arrives.

Biden arrives in the UK

Air Force One arrived in the United Kingdom carrying President Biden for the first time yesterday. Typically when visiting the South of England, the aircraft lands at London Stansted Airport. Stansted has a dedicated area that can handle the president's security needs without causing too much disruption. The aircraft last visited Stansted in June 2019 during a visit by President Trump.

Instead of London Stansted, the president touched down at RAF Mildenhall Airfield at around 19:30 yesterday. The president stopped to address US troops at the base for roughly two and a half hours. Commenting after arrival at Mildenhall, Biden said,

"I’m so proud to be here with all of you to kick off my first overseas trip as President. I’ve been in and out of here many, many times. I’ve visited well over 100 countries... as Vice President or Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. This is my first overseas trip as President of the United States."

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Onto Newquay

As mentioned, Biden on remained at RAF Mildenhall for around two and a half hours, departing at around 21:00. Biden then flew down to Newquay Airport in Cornwall, a stone's throw away from where the G7 summit will be held this weekend. He arrived at his final destination of the day at roughly 23:30.

Air Force One, Joe Biden, United Kingdom
The modified Boeing 747 then flew to Newquay in Cornwall. Photo: Getty Images

Today, Biden has been meeting with his United Kingdom counterpart, Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The two are meeting to discuss a "Transatlantic Charter" between the two nations. This could be good news for the aviation industry. As part of the charter, the two leaders will agree to launch a UK-US travel task force. The aim of the task force is to relaunch transatlantic travel as soon as it is possible to do so safely.

Airlines will likely welcome the move as on Monday they called for the two leaders to discuss reopening international travel. According to the group, each day that travel between the two nations is restricted costs UK businesses £23 million.

Biden will remain in Newquay until the G7 summit ends. After this, he will travel to Windsor to meet the Queen, before heading over to Brussels to meet with NATO. After that, he will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What do you make of Biden's first visit to the UK as president? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below!