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Air Force One Returns to Base After Minor Electrical Issue En Route to Davos
Air Force One turned back to Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday after crew members identified as a “minor electrical issue” shortly after takeoff, according to administration officials.
Leavitt confirmed the plane landed safely and that there were no injuries. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and his delegation were transferred to another aircraft to proceed with the trip as scheduled.
The White House did not disclose the specific nature of the electrical issue but described it as routine and said standard safety protocols require immediate action whenever a potential problem is identified during flight.
During a briefing, Leavitt joked that the luxury Boeing 747-8 jet gifted to the United States by Qatar earlier this year was sounding “much better” in light of the incident.
Trump accepted the aircraft in May. The jet, valued at approximately $400 million, was previously used by the Qatari royal family and is expected to undergo extensive security upgrades before being used for presidential travel
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has previously said the Department of Defense would “work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.”
The flight interruption came as Trump and several Cabinet members were traveling to Davos for meetings with European leaders and business executives attending the annual World Economic Forum.
The president’s trip comes amid rising tensions with European allies over his push for the United States to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
On Saturday, Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on imports from Denmark and several other European countries, linking the move to their opposition to U.S. efforts to take control of Greenland. The tariffs are set to take effect on Feb. 1, with higher rates threatened later in the year.
White House officials said the aircraft issue did not affect presidential security and emphasized that such precautions are standard procedure for Air Force One operations.
The White House has not said whether the incident will prompt additional inspections of the presidential fleet, but officials stressed that safety protocols functioned as intended.
Trump is expected to address global leaders in Davos later this week as discussions continue on trade, security and geopolitical tensions involving Europe, Russia and the Arctic region.
