US President Donald Trump was forced to return to Washington after his plane, the Air Force One, developed an electrical snag on Tuesday evening whilst it was on its way to Switzerland, said the White House.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return to Joint Base Andrews was made about an hour after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around.
A reporter on board said the lights in the press cabin of the aircraft went out briefly after takeoff, but no explanation was immediately offered. About half an hour into the flight, reporters were told the plane would be turning around.
Trump will board another aircraft and continue on with his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he is set to address the annual meeting on Wednesday.
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The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, and have been heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology.
They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.
While Boeing has been working on replacing the planes, the programme has faced a series of delays. Meanwhile, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet last year to be added into the Air Force One fleet, a move that faced great scrutiny. That plane is currently being retrofitted to meet security requirements.
Leavitt joked to reporters on Air Force One Tuesday night that a Qatari jet was sounding “much better” right now.
At Davos, Trump will participate in a greeting with the forum’s leadership, meet foreign leaders and attend a reception with business leaders. On Thursday, on the margins of the World Economic Forum, the US President will participate in the “Board of Peace Charter announcement”, where nations would be invited to sign the charter, joining the body aimed for Gaza’s redevelopment under his comprehensive plan to end the conflict.
Trump’s presence at Davos comes amidst tensions between the US and European nations over his push to acquire Greenland and impose tariffs on countries until “a deal” is reached to purchase Greenland.
Davos is hosting global leaders and business heavyweights as the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum began January 19 and will run till January 23.
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