United States President Donald Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos hit an early snag after Air Force One was forced to turn back about an hour into the journey.
The aircraft, carrying Trump, his entourage and reporters, returned to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after 11:00pm on Tuesday night due to what the White House described as a “minor electrical issue”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the problem prompted a precautionary return, with no indication of a security threat.
Trump later resumed his journey to Switzerland on a smaller Boeing 757, an aircraft typically used for domestic trips and shorter runways. The replacement plane departed just after midnight local time, more than two hours after the original flight had taken off.
Despite the delay, Trump is still expected to attend the World Economic Forum, where he is scheduled to meet several world leaders and deliver a speech.
The incident cast an unexpected spotlight on Air Force One itself, one of the most recognisable symbols of the US presidency. The two planes currently serving in the role have been in operation for nearly 40 years, while Boeing’s long-delayed replacement programme continues to face setbacks.
Air Force One aircraft are fitted with advanced communications systems, missile-defence technology and radiation shielding, allowing the president to command the military from anywhere in the world.
Last year, Qatar’s ruling family gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 to be added to the presidential fleet, though it is still undergoing extensive security retrofitting. Leavitt quipped to reporters that the Qatari jet was now sounding “much better”.
Mechanical issues have periodically disrupted high-level US travel. In February, an Air Force One plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was forced to turn back en route to Germany, while in October a military aircraft carrying Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in the UK after a windshield crack.
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