Donald Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum took an unexpected turn shortly after departure, prompting questions about the status of the presidential aircraft. White House officials later explained why the plane reversed course while en route to Davos.
Why did Donald Trump’s Air Force One turn around?
President Donald Trump’s flight to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, turned back shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, after the crew identified “a minor electrical issue,” according to the White House. The crew rerouted Air Force One to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters traveling with the president (via POLITICO).
Leavitt stated that the president and his entourage boarded a new aircraft and continued their trip to Switzerland. The White House confirmed that Air Force One landed back at Andrews Air Force Base at 11:07 p.m. A reporter on board noted that the lights in the press cabin briefly went out shortly after takeoff, but no formal explanation was given for this occurrence.
According to the Associated Press, the president was en route to Davos to speak at the World Economic Forum. Leavitt said the crew decided to return out of an abundance of caution after they detected “a minor electrical issue” post-takeoff. The White House confirmed that Trump will continue his journey to Davos on another aircraft.
The current aircraft in the Air Force One fleet have flown for nearly four decades. Boeing is developing replacements, but the project has faced multiple delays. In 2025, the ruling family of Qatar donated a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to Trump for inclusion in the Air Force One fleet, a move that drew scrutiny. Officials are currently retrofitting that aircraft to meet U.S. security requirements. During the return flight, Leavitt joked with reporters that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better” under the circumstances.
