Air Force One Returns After Departing for Davos over ‘Electrical Issue’

Air Force One returned to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C., after departing with President Trump for Switzerland due to a reported “minor electrical issue” on Tuesday.

“Pesident Donald Trump’s plane is returning to the US after he left for the World Economic Forum in Switzerland due to a minor electrical issue. Trump is still expected to attend the forum in Davos and is planning to get on a backup plane,” reported CNN.

According to WRAL, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the plane returned after takeoff due to a “minor electrical issue” just out of an abundance of caution.

“A reporter on board said the lights in the press cabin of the aircraft went out briefly after takeoff, but no explanation was offered,” noted the outlet.

The current two planes used for Air Force One have been operational for 40 years, and though construction for a replacement has been underway by Boeing, the project has faced delay after delay. As Breitbart News reported last year in February:

President Donald Trump toured a new Boeing plane on Saturday to inspect its  hardware and technology, sources familiar told Breitbart News.

The brief tour happened in the morning, and sources told Breitbart News ahead of time it would underscore the company’s failure to produce new Air Force One planes years after the contract for them was finalized in 2018.

“President Trump is expected to briefly tour a new Boeing plane to checkout the new hardware/technology, which will also highlight Boeing’s ineptitude and failure to deliver a new Air Force 1 on time as promised, sources familiar just told me,” wrote Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle in a post on X shortly before Trump checked out the plane.

The ruling family of Qatar later presented the president a Boeing 747-8 jumbo as part of the Air Force One fleet, which is currently being retrofitted for security purposes.