Air Force One Fault: Trump Returns To Base Over Electrical Issue En Route To Davos 2026

President Trump's trip to the WEF in Davos was delayed after Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews due to a "minor electrical issue." The President will switch planes to meet European leaders and Indian CEOs in Switzerland.

A mid-air U-turn of Air Force One over the Atlantic Ocean was what President Donald Trump's journey to the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos had in store on Tuesday evening. The sudden move came in reaction to a technical glitch that was discovered shortly after the presidential plane took off from Maryland.

Despite the postponement, the White House confirmed the president is in good health, and his foreign schedule is intact.

A Cautionary U-Turn Across The Atlantic

The presidential plane Boeing VC-25A was headed to Switzerland from Joint Base Andrews but reversed its route about an hour into the flight. This was a purely preventive measure, according to the explanation provided by the Rapid Response 47 team.

"After takeoff, the crew reported a minor problem with the electricity. In an abundance of caution, AF1 will return to Joint Base Andrews. The President will move to another plane and proceed to Switzerland with the group."

Noted by reporters on the plane, the lighting in the press cabin momentarily flickered or went out a few minutes after takeoff, but no emergency was declared, and they landed safely in Maryland.

Health Speculations Debunked

This drastic change sparked a wave of rumors on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), with many people concerned about the health of the 79-year-old president. "Medical emergency" started trending on the micro-blogging platform as the flight plan of the plane was being followed by plane buffs.

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later made it clear that this was a wholly mechanical issue. President Trump and his entourage, therefore, had to switch to a standby plane so that he might continue with his schedule and thus continue his trip across the Atlantic Ocean.

Davos Agenda: Greenland And Trade Tensions

President Trump is off to the 56th annual meeting of the WEF at Davos, where he will reportedly be given the cold shoulder treatment by his European counterparts. One main issue at stake is his proposal to annex Greenland.

The Strategic Bid: Trump asserts an American need to control the Arctic territory to effectively compete with Russian or Chinese domination within the region.

European Defiance: EU Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen are already on record opposing this step through strong statements calling it "new colonialism" and threatening "unflinching action" should Trump carry out threats to levy tariffs on those opposed to this bid.

"Aging Fleet Under Scrutiny The matter brings to light the concerns that have existed with regard to the aging presidential aircraft fleet. The two existing planes, VC-25A, were put into service in the early 1990s. Though Boeing is currently developing the VC-25B to replace them, the mission has encountered considerable postponements. It is also quite amusing that Press Secretary Leavitt told the media with a laugh that a "luxurious" Boeing 747-8, which had recently been donated to Trump by the Qatari ruling family, was "sounding" like "a much better" alternative with the electrical issue that occurred.

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