WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s aircraft was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews late Tuesday after experiencing a minor electrical issue shortly after takeoff for Switzerland, the White House said.
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Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Air Force One returned to the base out of an abundance of caution and landed shortly after 0400 GMT. Journalists travelling with the president reported that lights inside the cabin briefly went out soon after departure.
After the aircraft returned safely, President Trump resumed his journey to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos early Wednesday. He and his entourage switched planes at Joint Base Andrews and departed again shortly after 0500 GMT, around two-and-a-half hours after the initial takeoff.
Air Force One, with its distinctive blue-and-white livery, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most recognisable aircraft and a powerful symbol of the US presidency.
Trump has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the current Air Force One fleet, which consists of two highly customised Boeing 747-200B aircraft that have been in service since 1990, during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.
Last year, Trump said his administration was exploring alternatives to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft intended to replace the ageing fleet.
In May, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted a Boeing 747 offered by the Gulf state of Qatar for potential use as Air Force One. The aircraft, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, has sparked constitutional, ethical and security concerns over the use of a foreign-donated jet for presidential travel.
