Trump's Flight to Davos Interrupted by Electrical Issue

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

President Donald Trump’s journey to the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos faced disruption on Tuesday evening when Air Force One aborted its flight to Switzerland due to a minor electrical issue. After takeoff from Washington D.C., the crew detected the problem and returned to Joint Base Andrews as a precaution. Reporters noted flickering lights in the press cabin, but the White House assured that the president’s safety was never in jeopardy. Trump landed safely on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews near Washington to change aircraft on Tuesday night. 

Trump is expected to switch to a backup aircraft for his trip to Switzerland, where his arrival looms over the Davos summit, overshadowed by his ongoing pursuit of Greenland and threats to impose tariffs on European nations opposing the acquisition. Just before his departure, Trump remained cryptic, telling the press they would "find out" how far he is willing to go.

The primary Boeing 747 landed safely at Joint Base Andrews for the change of aircraft. The trip resumed just after midnight local time on Wednesday, with Trump and his delegation boarding a smaller Boeing 757 to continue to Zurich.

This unscheduled turnaround highlights issues faced by the ageing presidential fleet. The two Boeing 747-200s in service are nearly 40 years old, and delays in their replacements have drawn attention to a controversial 2025 gift from Qatar—a luxury Boeing 747-8 intended for the fleet. While retrofitting for U.S. security standards is ongoing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quipped about the Qatari jet sounding “much better” after Tuesday's malfunctions.

The presidential delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, has experienced similar mechanical issues recently. In early 2025, Rubio’s flight to Germany was turned back due to mechanical problems, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an emergency landing in Britain last October due to a cracked windshield. These incidents underscore the growing pressure on the Air Force to modernise its ageing fleet amid ethical and security scrutiny surrounding foreign-gifted alternatives.