President Obama arrives in the UK for state visit President Obama arrives in the UK for state visit. merican president Barack Obama has flown into Britain early for a three-day state visit, declaring the UK-US partnership "an essential relationship". The president flew into Stansted airport ahead of schedule to avoid the possibility of disruption to air travel from the ash cloud from an erupting Icelandic volcano. He had been due to fly from Ireland on board Air Force One after spending the night in Ireland to be greeted at the Essex airport by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. But the decision was taken to bring forward the visit after the announcement of cancellations to some UK commercial flights due to the ash billowing from the Grimsvotn volcano - with more disruption expected in the days to come. The state visit - only the third by a US president to the UK in 100 years - comes at a time of close co-operation between Britain and America on issues ranging from ...