Trump’s Air Force One makes U-turn after minor electrical glitch, Davos arrival delayed

US President Donald Trump’s aircraft, Air Force One, was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews shortly after take-off on Tuesday (local time) after the crew detected a “minor electrical issue”, the White House said.

Trump was en route to Davos, Switzerland, where he is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026. “After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews,” the White House Rapid Response Team said in a post on X. It added that the president and his team would board a different aircraft and continue the journey.

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According to foreign media report, travelling with the press pool, lights in the press cabin briefly went out after takeoff, though no immediate explanation was provided by the crew. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said standard safety procedures were followed and the decision to turn back was taken as a precaution.

Trump later resumed his journey after switching aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, departing again shortly after midnight, around two-and-a-half hours after the initial takeoff. Notably, Trump will arrive in Davos three hours late. He was scheduled to arrive at 2:30 pm but will now reach Switzerland around 6 pm local time (10:30 pm IST)

Speaking to reporters before leaving Washington, Trump downplayed the incident. “This will be an interesting trip,” he said. “I have no idea what’s going to happen, but you are well represented.” In a post on Truth Social, he added, “America will be well represented in Davos—by me. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!”

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Davos on Wednesday and depart on Thursday. Trump’s Davos visit comes amid rising tensions with European allies over his push to assert US control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. Ahead of his departure, Trump said he expected discussions on Greenland during the summit and expressed confidence that an agreement could be reached.

“We need it for security purposes. We need it for national security,” he said, adding that NATO would ultimately be “very happy” with the outcome.

European officials, however, have pushed back strongly, with foreign media reporting that allies are using the Davos summit to prevent a deeper diplomatic rupture.

The current Air Force One fleet—two VC-25A Boeing 747-200 aircraft—has been in service for nearly four decades. Boeing is developing next-generation VC-25B replacements, though the programme has faced repeated delays.

Last year, Qatar’s ruling family gifted a Boeing 747-8 jet intended to join the Air Force One fleet, a move that drew scrutiny. The aircraft is currently undergoing security retrofitting. Leavitt quipped on Tuesday night that the Qatari jet was “sounding much better” amid the delay. The incident follows similar recent disruptions involving senior US officials. In February last year, an aircraft carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was forced to return to Washington due to mechanical issues, while in October, a military plane transporting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in the UK after a cracked windshield.