The plane carrying Donald Trump to the World Economic Forum in Davos was forced to turn back to Washington on Tuesday evening after what officials described as a minor electrical issue. The president then boarded another aircraft, an Air Force C-32, and continued his journey shortly after midnight.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was taken "out of an abundance of caution" once the crew detected the fault. A White House pool reporter said the lights in the press cabin flickered off briefly after takeoff. The two ageing jets that serve as Air Force One have been in service for nearly four decades, with Boeing's efforts to deliver replacements beset by repeated delays.
The incident comes after controversy in 2025 when Qatar's ruling family presented Trump with a luxury Boeing 747-8 for the presidential fleet, a gesture that drew intense scrutiny. The aircraft is being refitted to meet US security standards. Leavitt quipped on board that the Qatari jet was sounding like the "much better" option.
The unscheduled turnaround was expected to delay the president's arrival in Davos, where the meeting is overshadowed by Trump's threat of tariffs on European countries over Greenland, which he remains determined to seize. Before departing, Trump told reporters: "Let's put it this way: it's going to be a very interesting Davos." At an earlier press briefing marking his first anniversary in office, he was asked how far he would go to acquire Greenland and replied: "You'll find out."
The delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett. The incident is not the first to affect senior US officials' travel. In February 2025, a military plane carrying Rubio to Germany returned to Washington due to a mechanical issue, and in October, a plane carrying Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in Britain after a windshield crack. Technical problems on the presidential jet are rare because of meticulous maintenance; in 2006, George W Bush had to board a backup aircraft after a mechanical malfunction in Vietnam.
