US President Trump's Air Force One flight to Switzerland was aborted on Tuesday after a minor electrical issue prompted the crew to return to Washington DC.
The sudden turn-around came shortly after departure, with officials citing "out of an abundance of caution" for making the decision. According to Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, the aircraft's lights flickered off briefly after takeoff but no further explanation was provided.
The unscheduled turnaround is likely to delay Trump's arrival in Davos, Switzerland, where he will attend the World Economic Forum. The meeting has been overshadowed by Trump's threat of tariffs on European countries over Greenland, which he remains determined to seize.
Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 that was gifted to Trump by Qatar's ruling family, has been plagued with technical issues in recent times. In October, a military plane carrying the US defence secretary made an emergency landing in Britain due to a crack in the windshield.
The presidential jet's age and maintenance have also come under scrutiny in recent months. The two aircraft serving as Air Force One have been in service for nearly four decades and have only recently been modified to meet US security standards, following repeated delays by Boeing.
Trump is joined on his trip by a delegation of senior officials, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Despite the setbacks, Trump remains determined to pursue his policy goals, quipping that a new aircraft he was gifted is "sounding much better" at the moment.
In February 2025, another military plane carrying Rubio had to return to Washington due to a mechanical issue, while in October a US defence secretary made an emergency landing in Britain.
The sudden turn-around came shortly after departure, with officials citing "out of an abundance of caution" for making the decision. According to Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, the aircraft's lights flickered off briefly after takeoff but no further explanation was provided.
The unscheduled turnaround is likely to delay Trump's arrival in Davos, Switzerland, where he will attend the World Economic Forum. The meeting has been overshadowed by Trump's threat of tariffs on European countries over Greenland, which he remains determined to seize.
Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 that was gifted to Trump by Qatar's ruling family, has been plagued with technical issues in recent times. In October, a military plane carrying the US defence secretary made an emergency landing in Britain due to a crack in the windshield.
The presidential jet's age and maintenance have also come under scrutiny in recent months. The two aircraft serving as Air Force One have been in service for nearly four decades and have only recently been modified to meet US security standards, following repeated delays by Boeing.
Trump is joined on his trip by a delegation of senior officials, including the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Despite the setbacks, Trump remains determined to pursue his policy goals, quipping that a new aircraft he was gifted is "sounding much better" at the moment.
In February 2025, another military plane carrying Rubio had to return to Washington due to a mechanical issue, while in October a US defence secretary made an emergency landing in Britain.
i was watching it take off and then it just stops mid-air 
anyone else see this? i'm so confused why they had to turn around like 5 minutes after taking off 
oh man, can't believe Air Force One's having another "glitchy" flight 
! It's like they're trying to make news headlines before Trump even leaves the country 
. And now this is gonna delay his arrival at Davos? That's not good for business, but hey, can't let safety concerns take a backseat, right? 
. I'm all about staying secure and safe on flights, but do we really need to make it so public? Can't they just say "maintenance check" like normal people 
what's going on with this plane?!
What's up with Air Force One? 
They're talking about "abundance of caution" but it sounds like they just wanna get outta there ASAP 
. And I'm not surprised, these planes are like 40+ years old 
- it's like trying to fix a broken toy that never was fixed in the first place 
, can't believe Trump's Air Force One is having issues again 
. And what's up with all these technical issues? Boeing needs to step it up their game, fam 
. Anyway, I guess this means Trump won't be meeting his European counterparts anytime soon... who's winning in this situation? 
I mean, wouldn't it be more interesting if he was talking about actual policies or something? 
. 
It's no wonder there are so many technical issues with it. When's the last time that plane was properly maintained or updated? 
. I'm surprised no one's called for an investigation yet... or maybe that's just because we all know how that would go 
. The World Economic Forum is supposed to be about global cooperation, not some private jet drama 
.
It's like they're flying around in the Wild West or something! 
. And what's with all the drama over Greenland? Like, dude, you can't just threaten countries and expect them to roll over 
. It's all just noise, if you ask me 
. This whole thing is just a major embarrassment for the US 
.
. All these technical issues with the aircraft are making me wonder if it's time for an upgrade 
. I mean, it's been in service for nearly 40 years? That's like driving a car that's older than most of our grandparents 
! Trump needs to get his priorities straight and make sure he's not putting national security at risk over his ego 
. Let's just hope the World Economic Forum meeting doesn't get too delayed