Air Force One turned around while en route to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday night.
The crew reportedly detected a “minor electrical issue” and decided to return to Andrews Air Force Base “out of an abundance of caution,” with President Donald Trump and his team planning to board another aircraft. Trump was en route to the WEF to give a “Special Address” on Wednesday afternoon local time when the issue occurred.
After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews. The President and team will board a different aircraft and continue on to Switzerland. https://t.co/pJ3Jc9NNbS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 21, 2026
Washington Examiner White House reporter Mabinty Quarshie, a member of the “out-of-town” press pool, noted the lights in the Air Force One cabin went out without explanation shortly after takeoff, before the aircraft turned back while over the Atlantic Ocean. Air Force One made a safe landing at Andrews Air Force Base, where Trump and those on the VC-25 will take two smaller aircraft, CNN reported.
“[White House Press Secretary Karoline] Leavitt made a joke about the Qatari jet sounding ‘much better’ right now,” Quarshie wrote in the report sent out to reporters.
Qatar offered Trump the $400 million Boeing 747-8 in May for modification into a VC-25 configuration to serve as Air Force One, a gift that drew criticism from some Congressional Democrats. Boeing received a multi-billion-dollar contract to build two new modified 747 jets in 2018 that were to have been delivered by 2024, but have been delayed until 2029.
The Air Force has two VC-25 aircraft, which are modified Boeing 747s, in inventory to serve as Air Force One, according to an Air Force fast sheet. The planes are based at Andrews Air Force Base near Camp Springs, Md., have a range of 6,800 nautical miles, and can reach 630 miles per hour and be refueled in flight by KC-130, KC-10, or KC-46 tankers.
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