Trump's Air Force One plane heads back to Washington after departing for Davos, White House reveals reason; check update

Trump Davos visit: President Donald Trump's plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews shortly after departing for Switzerland on Tuesday evening (January 20, 2026). The plane reportedly landed safely in Washington to ‌change aircraft night, Reuters reported. The trip will continue on a new aircraft, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Trump is traveling to ‌join ‍other world leaders at ‍the World Economic Forum in Davos, ‌Switzerland. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was made after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified "a minor electrical issue," news agency AP reported.

The crew decided to turn around out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around. Trump will board another aircraft upon his return and continue on with his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to AP, a reporter on board said the lights in the press cabin of the aircraft went out briefly after takeoff, but no explanation was offered. About half an hour into the flight reporters were informed that the plane would be turning around.

Two Air Force One planes have been flying for 4 decades

The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades, according to AP. Boeing has been working on replacements, but the program has faced a series of delays.

In 2025, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet 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.

In February 2025, an Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Germany had to return to Washington because of a mechanical issue. In October, a military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to make an emergency landing in United Kingdom due to a crack in the windshield.

Air safety incidents involving the US president, vice president are rare

Air safety incidents involving the U.S. president or vice president are rare, but not unprecedented. Air Force One aborted a landing due to bad ‍weather while carrying President Barack Obama to an event ‍in Connecticut ⁠in 2011, according to Reuters.

In 2012, the Air Force Two plane carrying then-Vice President Joe Biden was struck by birds in California, before it landed without a problem.