US President Donald Trump’s Davos-bound plane returns to air base after ‘minor’ electrical issue reported mid-air
Air Force One, US President Donald Trump’s plane that was supposed to fly to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, experienced a technical malfunction on Tuesday (local time).
US President Donald Trump’s Air Force One plane had to return to Joint Base Andrews shortly after takeoff after the crew detected a technical problem. Trump departed on Tuesday (local time) for Davos, Switzerland, where he will deliver the keynote address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026.
“Minor electrical issue” detected by Air Force One after takeoff.
The official White House Rapid Response Team said in a statement on the he said.
Air Force One, US President Donald Trump’s plane that was supposed to fly to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, experienced a technical malfunction on Tuesday (local time).
After takeoff, the AF1 crew detected a minor electrical problem. AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews out of an abundance of caution. The President and the team will board a different plane and continue towards Switzerland. https://t.co/pJ3Jc9NNbS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 21, 2026
Since the inception of the modern Air Force One fleet, Boeing has been delivering aircraft specifically designed for the mission of supporting the president of the United States.
As the Boeing website notes, its planes have been transporting U.S. presidents around the world since 1943, when Franklin Roosevelt became the first commander in chief to fly in an aircraft, a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat known as the Dixie Clipper. From the current VC-25A (747-200) to the next-generation VC-25B (747-800), Boeing 747 aircraft emblazoned with the presidential seal and “United States of America” are among the most recognizable symbols of the presidency and continue the tradition of Air Force One, the iconic call sign when the president is on board.
An urgent diplomatic intervention awaits Trump in Davos, who spent days threatening US allies in the EU regarding Greenland.
Meanwhile, according to CNN, top European officials plan to use this week’s annual summit as a preparation ground to avert a crisis that is pushing the continent into the abyss. This pressure from allies comes even as some in Trump’s orbit have voiced private concerns about the president’s rhetoric and are looking for a way out, CNN reported.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)
