Trump’s Air Force One turns back mid-flight to Davos amid European pushback on Greenland
Plane returned to Joint Base Andrews “out of an abundance of caution,” White House says, adding that Trump would switch aircraft and continue to Switzerland.
President Donald Trump’s aircraft was forced to turn back to the United States late Tuesday shortly after takeoff for Davos, Switzerland, after what the White House described as a “minor electrical issue” aboard Air Force One.
The plane returned to Joint Base Andrews “out of an abundance of caution,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding that Trump and his entourage would switch to another aircraft and continue on to Switzerland.
Air Force One landed back at the Maryland base shortly after 11:00 pm (0400 GMT).
Journalists travelling with the president reported that lights in the cabin briefly went out after takeoff, prompting the crew to initiate the return.
“After takeoff, the AF1 crew identified a minor electrical issue. Out of an abundance of caution, AF1 is returning to Joint Base Andrews,” the White House’s Rapid Response account said on X. “The President and team will board a different aircraft and continue on to Switzerland.”
Trump is travelling to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he is expected to face pointed questions — and possible pushback — from European leaders over his controversial bid to seize Greenland, a move that has rattled allies and revived debate over US territorial ambitions.
Before departing Washington, Trump struck a characteristically cryptic note. “This will be an interesting trip,” he told reporters. “I have no idea what’s gonna happen, but you are well represented.”
With its blue-and-white livery, Air Force One is among the most recognisable symbols of the US presidency. Yet Trump has long expressed dissatisfaction with the current fleet — two heavily modified Boeing 747-200B aircraft that have been in service since 1990, dating back to the administration of George H.W. Bush.
Last year, Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing amid repeated delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft intended to replace the ageing jets.
Those concerns intensified in May, when Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accepted a Boeing 747 offered by Qatar for Trump’s use as Air Force One — a gift valued at hundreds of millions of dollars that sparked constitutional, ethical and security concerns over deploying a foreign-donated aircraft for the presidency’s most sensitive travel.
Despite Tuesday’s setback, the White House said Trump’s Davos schedule would proceed as planned — setting the stage for a high-stakes appearance against the backdrop of growing transatlantic unease over Greenland and Washington’s evolving posture toward its closest allies.