DefenseAir Force One aborts flight, Trump continues trip aboard Boeing 757
A flight carrying US president Donald Trump aboard Air Force One was forced to turn back to Washington on Tuesday after what the White House described as a ‘minor electrical issue’, leading to a change of aircraft for the onward journey to Switzerland.
The VC-25A, a heavily modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as Air Force One since the 90s, returned to Joint Base Andrews shortly after departure. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to abort the flight was taken “out of an abundance of caution” after the crew detected the issue.
A pool reporter travelling with the president said the lights in the press cabin briefly flickered after the aircraft became airborne. No further technical details were disclosed.
After returning to Washington, Trump boarded a C-32, a modified Boeing 757 that is considerably smaller than the VC-25A and is normally used for transport of senior government officials and for presidential trips to airports that cannot accommodate the larger 747. The president then continued his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos shortly after midnight.
The incident renewed attention on the age of the two VC-25A aircraft, which have been in service for nearly four decades. Boeing has faced repeated delays in delivering their planned replacements, the VC-25B, which are based on the Boeing 747-8.
The aircraft change also comes amid ongoing debate over the future of the presidential fleet. In 2025, Trump accepted a Boeing 747-8 from Qatar’s ruling family for potential inclusion in the fleet, a move that drew scrutiny and requires extensive modifications to meet US security standards.
The unscheduled turnaround was expected to delay the president’s arrival in Davos. The trip follows other recent incidents involving US government aircraft, including a February 2025 return to Washington by a military plane carrying the secretary of state due to mechanical issues, and an emergency landing later that year by an aircraft transporting the defence secretary after a windshield crack.
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