Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews Tuesday night after a reported minor electrical fault, briefly delaying President Trump’s trip to Davos. Press pool members reported a short outage of lights in the press cabin and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joking that a Qatari jet "sounded much better." The White House called the return a precaution; the president later departed on a replacement Boeing 757 and remains en route to the World Economic Forum, where he is scheduled to speak.
Air Force One Turns Back Mid‑Flight; Press Secretary Quips About Qatari Jet
U.S. President Donald Trump makes a brief statement to reporters before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Marine One on January 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. / Samuel Corum / Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s scheduled flight to Switzerland was delayed Tuesday night when Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews after the crew reported a minor electrical problem. Members of the White House press pool said lights in the press cabin briefly went out, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quipped that a Qatari jet "sounded much better."
What Happened
Less than an hour after departure, the presidential aircraft reversed course due to what the White House described as a "minor electrical issue." The incident prompted the plane to land back at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just before 9:30 p.m. local time.
"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." — Rapid Response47 (X)
Timeline And Flight Details
The president later boarded a replacement aircraft — a smaller Boeing 757 — and departed for Switzerland at about 12:02 a.m. The flight to Davos is expected to take roughly seven hours. For security reasons, no footage was released of the president exiting the backup plane, and he did not speak to reporters during the aircraft change.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as President Donald Trump (R) speaks aboard Air Force One while travelling from Japan to South Korea on October 29, 2025. / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images
Who Was On Board
White House pool reports listed senior officials traveling with the president. Those reports named a number of advisers and staff members who accompanied him; pool coverage provided the details to reporters on the trip.
Context
The trip marks Mr. Trump’s first in‑person attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos since 2020. He is scheduled to deliver a speech at the forum on Wednesday.
In May, Mr. Trump announced that Qatar had donated a jumbo jet — reported to be worth about $400 million — that he said would serve as an upgraded Air Force One. The White House has described the donation as an "unconditional" gift and said the aircraft would be transferred to the president’s presidential library after his term ends.
Donald Trump posts about his trip to Switzerland on Truth Social. / Truth Social
CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz told CNN that Boeing is roughly 18 months behind schedule on the new Air Force One program, suggesting the official replacement aircraft is unlikely to appear before the end of Mr. Trump’s term.
Reactions
Reporters on the plane reported a brief outage of cabin lights; no additional technical details were provided publicly beyond the White House statement. The Daily Beast said it had reached out to the White House for further comment.
Before departure, Mr. Trump told reporters he was unsure what the trip would yield, saying: "This will be an interesting trip. I have no idea what's going to happen but you are well represented." He later reiterated on Truth Social: "America will be well represented in Davos—by me."
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